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, this week I received a notice from the Chief Administrative Officer and the Architect of the Capitol directing me to remove a memorial outside of my office, which honors fallen marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, because it does not comply with the new hallway policy of the House.

The hallway policy states that items such as flags, equipment, furnishings, and trash must be removed from the hallways. The policy defines furnishings, in part, as easels and exhibits and posters.

While the Faces of the Fallen memorial displayed outside my office does include posters and easels, I cannot believe that these symbols of service to our Nation could be considered mere furnishings. Discarded office equipment and trash are certainly a hindrance to the public who passes through the hallways of congressional office buildings. However, memorials to honor the lives of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are a welcome tribute that should not fall under the hallway policy jurisdiction.

Yesterday, I wrote a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi to explain the history of this memorial and its importance. In 2004, Congressman RAHM EMANUEL and I introduced legislation directing the Architect of the Capitol to establish an exhibit in the Capitol rotunda to honor the memory of members of the United States Armed Forces who have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation

[Page: H6388] GPO's PDF Enduring Freedom. Our legislation was never considered. Instead, House Speaker DENNY HASTERT directed the construction of a modest memorial listing names of the fallen in the foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building. Because we consider the listing of names to be an insufficient way to honor the lives of our fallen servicemembers, I, along with other Members of Congress, began to display more proper memorials outside of our own office areas.

To fully appreciate the loss of a military hero, I believe it is important to see the face of what might have been the fathers, the mothers, the sons, the daughters. Hundreds of visitors from my district, and others, have stopped to view the faces of fallen marines from Camp Lejeune displayed outside my office door, and they have been impacted deeply by this memorial.

Madam Speaker, on one occasion, a mother from Minnesota came into my office with tears in her eyes and thanked me for displaying the picture of her son, who had been killed while serving our Nation.

I know that Speaker Pelosi understands the importance of honoring the men and women who have died in service to our country. I am very grateful that the Speaker has honored my request and the request of others that the House observe a moment of silence each month in honor of those killed or wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.

As another sign of appreciation for these military heroes, I am hopeful that Speaker Pelosi will support those of us who wish to continue displaying memorials outside of our congressional offices in honor of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

With that, Madam Speaker, I close by asking God to continue to bless our men and women in uniform and ask God to bless the families who have given a child dying for freedom in Iraq.