WASHINGTON, D.C. – H.R. 24 – legislation introduced in January by Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) to redesignate the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps – has gained 300 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. Less than 10 of the nearly 3,000 bills introduced in the House this session have garnered more than 300 cosponsors.

In each Congress since 2001, Jones has introduced legislation aimed at giving the United States Marine Corps the recognition it deserves as one of the official branches of the military. Jones has long advocated re-designating the Secretary of the Navy as the “Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps,” and has also supported taking the change a step further to include a department name change. The language of H.R. 24 was recently included in H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010, which the House Armed Services Committee unanimously approved on June 17, 2009. H.R. 2647 is expected to be considered on the House floor this week. This is the eighth year in a row that the language of H.R. 24 has been included in the House version of the NDAA, but each year the language has been stripped in the Senate.

“This is an issue close to my heart,” Congressman Jones said. “The Marine Corps is not a subordinate arm under the Navy, but rather an equal member of a team that deserves equal recognition. I’m very encouraged by the support for H. R. 24 among so many of my House colleagues. I am also grateful to Senator Pat Roberts, a former Marine, who has introduced companion legislation in the Senate, S. 504. It’s important for the Senate to recognize the widespread and bipartisan support for this change. With the support of Senator Roberts and my House colleagues, I’m hopeful that this will be the year the Marine Corps is granted the recognition it deserves.”

“The Navy and the Marine Corps have operated as one entity for more than two centuries, and H.R. 24 would ensure the name of the department they share exemplifies this fact,” Jones continued. “This legislation is not about changing the responsibilities of the secretary, reallocating resources between the Navy and Marine Corps or altering the course of their missions. 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.”

Over the past several years, the language of H.R. 24 has been endorsed by several former Navy secretaries, Marine Corps commandants, the Marine Corps League, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Fleet Reserve Association and many other individuals and groups.

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