Gunner's Blog

"If we are going to ask our brave men and women in uniform to give their life over in Iraq or Afghanistan, the least we in Congress can do is to show them that we truly care."

WASHINGTON, DC – At a House Armed Services Committee hearing today, Third District Congressman Walter B. Jones questioned Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on proposed budget cuts for veterans.

"During President Abraham Lincoln’s second Inaugural address he said of America's veterans, 'To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan,'" Jones said. "If we are going to ask our brave men and women in uniform to give their life over in Iraq or Afghanistan, the least we in Congress can do is to show them that we truly care for them as Lincoln said we should."

Representative Jones explained to Secretary Rumsfeld that, though "he still supports the President," he was alarmed to discover that the President’s budget "contained a fourteen percent increase for foreign aid while cutting veterans benefits."

Congressman Jones also expressed his concern over a report that quoted a Pentagon official suggesting that veterans’ benefits were already too high.

"I have the privilege to represent the Third District of North Carolina, which is home to over 60,000 veterans and retired military. I hope there was a misunderstanding with this comment because, if it is accurate, it is insensitive and wrong," Jones explained. "I do not understand how all of us in Congress, as well as those in the Administration and the Department of Defense, cannot remember that those returning in uniform must come first."

Secretary Rumsfeld was before the Armed Services Committee today to discuss the Department of Defense's fiscal year 2006 budget request.


For additional information or to schedule an interview with Congressman Walter B. Jones please contact Kristen Quigley at (202) 225-3415.

JONES SPEAKS TO MARINE CORPS LEAGUE ABOUT RENAMING THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
"This legislation is about showing the nation the true meaning of the Department and recognizing the overall importance of the Marine Corps to our national security."

WASHINGTON, DC – Third District Congressman Walter B. Jones today was the featured speaker at the annual Mid-Winter Conference of the Marine Corps League in Falls Church, Virginia. Jones spoke about HR 34, a bill he introduced to rename the Department of the Navy to be the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.

"There isn’t a subordinate relationship between the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marines Corps," Jones said. "They are equivalent parts of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and it is time that the Department of the Navy recognizes their equal status. This legislation is not about changing the responsibilities of the secretary, reallocating resources between the Navy and Marine Corps or altering the course of the mission at hand. Rather it is about showing the nation the true meaning of the Department and recognizing the overall importance of the Marine Corps to our national security."

Representative Jones has long been an advocate of giving the Marine Corps the representation they deserve as one of the four official branches of the military. Today Jones displayed a copy of orders for a silver star for a young Marine who was posthumously awarded this honor for his actions. He then displayed a copy of the orders as they would look after the renaming with both the Navy and Marine flag at the top. After an enthusiastic applause, Jones said, “When this Marine’s children and grandchildren grow up they should be able to look at this letter and be proud of their Daddy’s sacrifice as a Marine. There should be no confusion as to what service he belonged.”

To date, Jones has fifty-three cosponsors of HR 34, including North Carolina Representatives Howard Coble, Robin Hayes and G.K. Butterfield.

“I am encouraged by the overwhelming support for this change. I am grateful for my colleagues in the House who have co-sponsored this legislation and, most importantly, I am honored that so many members of our armed forces have backed this bill. With their backing, I will continue to work diligently to see this bill through the House. The Navy and the Marine Corps have operated as one entity for 229 years. This legislation will ensure the department they share exemplifies that fact.”


For additional information or to schedule an interview with Congressman Walter B. Jones please contact Kristen Quigley at (202) 225-3415.