I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1741

To redesignate the position of the Secretary of the Navy as the Secretary 

of the Navy and Marine Corps. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 10, 2003

Mr. JONES of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. HOUGHTON, 

Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. KLINE, Mr. JANKLOW, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. 

HUNTER, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. 

RAMSTAD, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. WILSON of 

South Carolina, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. HAYES, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. BARTLETT of 

Maryland, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. AKIN, Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico, 

Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. COBLE, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. 

MCINTYRE, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. GINGREY, Mr. GOODE, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. 

LOBIONDO, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. ORTIZ, 

Mrs. TAUSCHER, and Mr. REYES) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL

To redesignate the position of the Secretary of the Navy 

as the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) Since their creation by the Continental Con2 gress, the Navy and Marine Corps have served, 

3 fought, and sacrificed together to define and defend 

4 America’s interests around the world. 

5 (2) That while the Navy and Marine Corps 

6 have served the nation as distinct military services 

7 with many outstanding achievements between them, 

8 they are bound together as a single department by 

9 the nature of their assigned roles and missions, and 

10 the environment in which they operate. 

11 (3) The Navy and Marine Corps are entering a 

12 new era of greater integration and cooperation, as 

13 evidenced by recent agreements to further integrate 

14 Navy and Marine Corps Tactical Aviation, by the 

15 appointment for the first time of a Marine to be 

16 Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, 

17 and by the recent decision to allow a Marine to com18 mand a carrier air wing in 2005. 

19 (4) In addition to increased organizational inte20 gration, the names of many previously distinct Navy 

21 and Marine Corps institutions and societies now 

22 bear the name of both, including the Navy/Marine 

23 Corps Relief Society, Navy/Marine Corps Field in 

24 Annapolis, and numerous joint Navy/Marine medals 

25 and ribbons. 
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1 (5) In the spirit of the historical, inseparable 

2 nature of the Navy and Marine Corps team, and the 

3 ever increasing integration of the two branches, it is 

4 appropriate that the military department secretary 

5 charged with advancing the interests of both have a 

6 title that reflects the names and equal status of 

7 both. 

8 SEC. 2. CHANGE IN TITLE OF SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. 

9 (a) CHANGE IN TITLE.—The position of the Sec10 retary of the Navy is hereby redesignated as the Secretary 

11 of the Navy and Marine Corps. 

12 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference to the Secretary of 

13 the Navy in any law, regulation, document, record, or 

14 other paper of the United States shall be considered to 

15 be a reference to the Secretary of the Navy and Marine 

16 Corps.

Æ