The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, as of today, H.R. 346, my legislation to redesignate the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps has 60 cosponsors. Although the language of this bill has already been passed by the full House last month as part of the Defense authorization bill, I want to encourage my colleagues on the floor of the House to join in cosponsoring this legislation. When the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act goes to conference in the fall, a large number of cosponsors of H.R. 346 will show the Senate the House strongly supports this change in name.

This is the sixth year in a row that the House has voted to support this change. This year, I hope the Senate will support the House position and join in bringing the proper respect to the fighting team of the Navy and Marine Corps. I am thankful to the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Carl Levin, who has said publicly that he will ``keep an open mind'' on this issue.

Changing the name of the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps is a symbolic gesture, but it is important to the team. This change is about recognizing the true meaning of the department. The Marines do not serve beneath the Navy. They are co-equal partners.

Madam Speaker, there is no cost to this change. It is the right thing to do for the Marine Corps and the Navy. This legislation has received the support of numerous military leaders in both the Navy and the Marine Corps.

Madam Speaker, let me quote the Honorable Wade Sanders, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve Affairs during the years of 1993 and 1998, who voiced his support for the change. I quote the Honorable Wade Sanders: ``As a combat veteran and formal Naval officer, I understand the importance of the team dynamic and the importance of recognizing the contributions of team components. The Navy and Marine Corps team is just that, a dynamic partnership, and it is important to symbolically recognize the balance of that partnership.''

I further would like to quote General Carl Mundy, the 30th Commandant of the Marine Corps. He stated, ``I believe the changes you propose will do much to clarify the relationship, responsibility and functions of the appointed civilian authority over the United States naval services. I believe that any Secretary, present, past, or future, will be proud to bear the title `Marine,' as well as `Navy.' ''

Madam Speaker, I have beside me, and I would read very carefully, ``The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting this Silver Star posthumously to Sergeant Michael Bitz, United States Marine Corps.''

Madam Speaker, the reason this is important, this Marine gave his life for his country. He left a wife and three children, twins hat he never saw that were born after he was deployed to Iraq. And yet, as you can see in these orders for the Silver Star, there is the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C., and the zip code and Navy flag. There is nothing in the heading that says ``Marine.''

Madam Speaker, what this bill will do, if the President should sign it, is to say that this Marine who died for this country, that the orders for the Silver Star clearly state the team's name. The name of the team is the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.

But what the heading would say in this order for the Silver Star is the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., with the flag of the Marine Corps and the flag of the Navy.

Madam Speaker, I hope that my colleagues in the House this year will join me, and let's get over 150, maybe 200 of my colleagues in both parties, to sign this legislation so we can say to the Senate in the fall of this year, it is time that the Marine Corps be recognized as an equal to the Navy. They both are equal in the services, and it is time that the Department of the Navy carry the name Marine Corps.

Madam Speaker, I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform, and may God continue to bless America.