Sen. Pat Roberts

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Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, a Marine veteran, has introduced S.504, a companion bill to HR 24 that would change the name of the Department of the Navy to the “Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.” At a Feb. 25 press conference, he said the change would be so simple…yet so important to so many Marines and Marine families.

“Why can’t we add three words to right an injustice?” asked Roberts. “Why can’t we add three words to remind the secretary of the Department of Defense and the world that the Marines are second to none?”

Roberts denounced critics who say the change would fly in the face of tradition.

“Some say we should not change because of something called tradition,” Roberts said. “Well, there are clearly many worthwhile traditions that add to the esprit de corps of the United States military and United States Marine Corps. In this case, it is hard to claim tradition as any legitimate reason not to move forward.”

Roberts also got to the core of what HR 24 and S. 504 are about.

“This legislation isn’t about money or about solving the social issues of our time,” the senator said. “This legislation is about honor and duty (to our Marines who are ready to enforce) cold steel on the enemy any time, any place.”

Marines, he concluded, will always be faithful.

“I just don’t think it’s too much to ask that our nation and the Secretary of Defense and all of our military establishment and those who are privileged to serve on the Armed Services Committee …be faithful back.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 3:26 pm and is filed under News, Press-Conference. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.