Commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's "Great White Fleet," launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907, from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 22, 1909.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 261, a resolution I introduced to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the launching of the Great White Fleet. On December 16, 1907, 16 battleships, including, of course, the USS Virginia, launched from Norfolk for a 14-month-long cruise around the world. Envisioned by President Theodore Roosevelt, himself a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, as an opportunity to showcase the military and humanitarian might of the United States, the fleet sailed over 42,000 miles around the globe, traveling around the tip of South America, across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, through the Suez and Mediterranean and back across the Atlantic to Norfolk.

Upon arriving in Egypt, the fleet's commanding officer, Rear Admiral Charles Sperry, dispatched two of his battleships to assist in providing humanitarian assistance to the victims of an earthquake that had ravaged Sicily. The cruise, which has earned its place in American naval history as one the single greatest achievements of the 20th century, foreshadowed events in 2004 when the U.S. Navy provided assistance and comfort to the victims of the tsunami in Indonesia and neighboring countries and again in 2005 when assistance was provided to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The event also foreshadowed the debate in Washington regarding the size of the U.S. fleet and the needed industrial capacity. Painted white and visible for miles, the fleet caused President Roosevelt to ask rhetorically, ``Oughtn't we all feel proud?'' I can surely sympathize. As the Representative of Virginia's Second Congressional District, I fully understand the proud sensation of driving across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and seeing the raw naval power that is home ported in Norfolk.

That moment of pride transcends into a moment of pause when witnessed by our enemies and a moment of comfort when witnessed by our friends. President Roosevelt understood the concept of force projection before the term was fashionable.

Our great tradition of naval power was not founded by President Roosevelt, but he understood it and harnessed it foreshadowing the great challenges of the 21st century and today.

I would note, Mr. Speaker, that the idea of sending our fleet halfway around the world was not an idea widely accepted by Congress, and yet President Roosevelt through his leadership and determination and in his role as Commander in Chief set out to do what he thought was right, sending a message long before it can be done over a computer that the United States was now an ``A List'' celebrity on the world stage. And it worked. Upon its return, the headline of The Washington Post dated February 21, 1909, read: ``Eyes of World Opened By Fleet.''

Mr. Speaker, ask most students of history about the achievements of President Theodore Roosevelt, and I imagine that they will start with the Panama Canal. I introduced this resolution in part because I feel that President Roosevelt's historic vision of a strong blue-water Navy as the cornerstone of American foreign policy should never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 261, introduced by my friend and colleague from Virginia's Second Congressional District, Congresswoman Thelma Drake, to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's ``Great White Fleet'' from Hampton Roads, Virginia.

On December 16, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt dispatched sixteen new battleships at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition on a global deployment to show the world that the United States had emerged as a global naval power. These sixteen ships were painted white, with gilded scrollwork on their bows, and became known as the ``Great White Fleet.''

Made up of four squadrons of four battleships each and manned by 14,000 sailors, the ships sailed 43,000 miles and made 20 port calls on six continents in 14 months. The fleet helped shore up American diplomatic efforts and friendships around the world, proving the success of pragmatic diplomatic policy. The fleet was greeted enthusiastically in nearly every port, where people in the thousands turned out to see America's new fleet. The fleet also responded to one of the worst earthquakes in European history by diverting to Sicily to offer humanitarian aid to the people of Italy.

On February 22, 1909, President Roosevelt returned to Hampton Roads, Virginia to witness the triumphant return of the ``Great White Fleet.'' President Roosevelt saw the fleet's successful global voyage as one of his administration's major accomplishments by enhancing the role of the United States in international affairs. Few can deny the historical importance of President Roosevelt's decision to deploy the ``Great White Fleet'' around the world.

Seven of the 16 great battleships that constituted the ``Great White Fleet'' were built in my hometown of Newport News, Virginia at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, today known as Northrop Grumman Newport News. Although the ``Great White Fleet'' demonstrated that America was an emerging seapower, the success of the ``Great White Fleet'' made Newport News and the Hampton Roads area a powerhouse for shipbuilding. One hundred years later, Northrop Grumman Newport News is still leading the way in the shipbuilding industry by building some of the most powerful and advanced ships for the United States Navy. Northrop Grumman Newport News has already begun work on the U.S.S. Gerald Ford, the newest

and most advanced generation of air craft carrier, to lead the U.S. Navy into the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, the voyage of the ``Great White Fleet'' has proven to be a pivotal event in the history of this great Nation. While impacting the entire United States, the impression of the ``Great White Fleet'' can be most felt in Hampton Roads, Virginia. In addition to being home to one of the Nation's most important shipbuilding facilities at Newport News, the world's largest naval base is located just across the Hampton Roads in Norfolk, Virginia. The citizens of Hampton Roads should feel very proud about the role of our region in one of the most important nautical voyages in American history. I urge my colleagues to support this important concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 261) commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's ``Great White Fleet,'' launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907, from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 22, 1909.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the concurrent resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support House Concurrent Resolution 261, commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's Great White Fleet launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907 from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 22, 1909.

I would like to thank my colleague from Virginia, Mrs. Thelma Drake, my friend and colleague on the House Armed Services Committee, for bringing this measure before the House. It was the Atlantic Fleet, later to be known as the Great White Fleet for its pristine decor that launched the United States into the realm of the maritime overnight. Over 14,000 sailors made an extraordinary voyage around the world, from Virginia in the Atlantic Ocean, around South America's Cape Horn to San Francisco. From there, the crews sailed the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, through the Mediterranean Sea, and back to the United States, stopping in such great nations as Australia and Italy to forge and secure the diplomatic friendships that continue to this day.

In 14 months, the Great White Fleet demonstrated to the entire world that the United States is committed to both military maritime presence as well as international humanitarian aid. This coming Sunday, December 16, marks the 100th year since the beginning of that voyage. In the past 100 years, we have maintained these commitments and continued deployments of the naval ships, including the hospital ships Mercy and Comfort, to provide aid and assistance to those in time of need. This centennial is an appropriate time to celebrate and renew our continued commitment to responsible international stewardship.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 261.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I would just like to close by saying that as the proud daughter of a naval veteran from World War II, I again thank my colleague from Virginia for bringing forth this resolution and I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 261.

I am prepared to close if my colleague is.

I yield back my time.