Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and congratulating the men and women who provide exceptional service to our military and keep our Pacific Fleet "fit to fight".

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1139) recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and congratulating the men and women who provide exceptional service to our military and keep our Pacific Fleet ``fit to fight''.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today to recognize Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on its 100th anniversary. On this important centennial, I would like to commemorate the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the shipyard. In their honor, we have introduced H. Res. 1139.

The Congress established the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on May 13, 1908, and it has grown from a coaling and repair station to being known in Hawaiian as the ``No Ka Oi Shipyard''--``No Ka Oi'' meaning the best--and is a national treasure that is strategically important to our Nation and equally vital to Hawaii.

During World War II, shipyard workers earned the motto, ``We keep them fit to fight,'' by resurrecting the United States Pacific Fleet from the bottom of Pearl Harbor, helping to turn the tide of war at Midway, and maintaining the ships that would ultimately win victory at sea and sail triumphantly into Tokyo Bay.

Throughout the decades, the shipyard has demonstrated its diverse capabilities by supporting America's space exploration, Antarctic expeditions, and national missile defense. It continues to support the United States Pacific Fleet as the largest ship repair facility between the West Coast of the United States and the Far East, providing full- service maintenance for Pacific Fleet ships and submarines throughout the Asia Pacific theater.

The shipyard has become the largest single industrial employer in Hawaii and is the largest fully integrated military-civilian workforce involved in full service shipyard work in the United States. The shipyard has a direct annual economic impact of more than $600 million in Hawaii, and through its apprentice, engineer co-op, and other student hire programs, provides extraordinary training, employment, and career opportunities for residents.

Moreover, the shipyard has earned multiple national awards for its dedicated environmental stewardship and excellent safety programs, such as the prestigious Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Star Award in May of 2007.

I want to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and congratulate the men and women who provide exceptional service to our military and indeed keep the Pacific Fleet ``fit to fight.''

Madam Speaker, I'm going to reserve the balance of my time at this point.

Madam Speaker, I want to compliment Mr. Wittman and I want to thank him. It is perhaps by coincidence, but a happy coincidence, that the gentleman, of course, is from Virginia. And with Virginia and Hawaii, we represent the east coast and the far west coast, I guess--really west--in Hawaii.

And I want to thank him as well for his excellent statement. Part of the reason being that he has outlined very, very well, I think, one of the most important issues that we face and one that does not always receive the kind of attention that I think it warrants, namely, our shipyards as a resource, and meeting the strategic interests of the United States.

Our shipyards, both public and private, are crucial, vital and necessary not only to the defense of the United States, but to seeing to it that, should

we be called upon to exert military activity anywhere in the world, the backbone, the foundation of any naval presence in any such contingency is dependent on the professionalism, dedication and perseverance of shipyards in this Nation.

He also mentioned, of course, the Virginia Class submarines, the nuclear submarines. And having observed the maintenance facilities in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, I can assure you and Mr. Wittman that those Virginia Class submarines will be welcomed there, and that the repair and maintenance will be handled by people at the height of their professional capacity.

The military's counsel there, the Pearl Harbor supervisors--some of whom I believe are in the gallery today observing what we're carrying out today in terms of the resolution--understand that we're going through more than just simply a ritual undertaking. I think that perhaps sometimes these resolutions get put into that category in the sense that it appears sometimes that we're going through the motions. But I'm sure you know, Madam Speaker, that one of the advantages of ritual in our society and among our species is that ritual is the great conservator of value. It is a measurement of our sense of ourselves, where we've been, where we're going, and what we have as the basis for the future.

And so, yes, we're commemorating the 100th anniversary today of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, but in doing so, we remind ourselves of its historic legacy and we remind ourselves as well as to what the future may require of us here in the United States. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard stands ready to do its duty. Yes, Madam Speaker, I can tell you Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard will see that our naval forces are ``fit to fight.''

Madam Speaker, at this time, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close after my colleague has yielded back his time. And I will continue to reserve my time pending that happy occasion.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, today I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1139, recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The mission of this outstanding shipyard, ``We keep them fit to fight,'' demonstrates the pride and professionalism of the men and women who serve our Nation in Pearl Harbor. The unified shipyard team is committed to the on-time delivery of the high quality submarine and surface ship maintenance at or below expected costs. The Pearl Harbor shipyard's culture of continuous improvement and extremely high standards for safety, security, and environmental protection are paramount in maintaining the readiness of our fleet and our military's mission. Properly maintaining nuclear-powered submarines and conventionally powered warships is instrumental in enabling our fighting forces to conduct operations in the global war on terror.

Our national defense demands that we have a strong and capable Naval Fleet, and the officers and crews of these fine warships, as well as the men and women of the shipyards, make this possible. Our Nation would not have the world's most technologically advanced combat ships without the talent and dedication of the military-industrial team and the public and private shipyards.

In honoring the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, I note that now, just as 100 years ago, both quality and quantity matter with respect to our Naval Fleet. That is why I voted to increase the funding for the Virginia Class Submarine program to enable the construction of two nuclear-powered submarines per year by fiscal year 2010. It is, again, time for our Nation to have a strategic outlook on the future role of our naval forces, and our Navy should establish a 313-ship fleet, at a minimum, to maintain our maritime dominance and forward presence around the globe.

Moreover, such a fleet is only sustainable if we continue to invest in the people, skills and infrastructure of our public shipyards.

The 100th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Shipyard is historically significant as the United States Navy continues to set the international standard of excellence. I urge your support in continuing to promote the role of shipbuilding and ship repair and defending our Nation in the 21st century. Maintaining the skills and strength of the industrial base and providing the necessary resources for future construction and repair will enable our country to benefit from the tremendous scientific and military achievements as the ships that have been repaired in Pearl Harbor have for over a century.

So, Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and congratulate the men and women who provide exceptional service to our military, keeping our fleet ``fit to fight'' as they demonstrate honor, courage and commitment on a daily basis.

I call upon all Americans to pause and honor the service and sacrifice of not only those brave Americans who have served in our shipyards, but also those who have served and continue to serve in the defense of our Nation and its values.

I urge my colleagues to support this most worthy resolution.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I just wanted to thank the gentleman from Hawaii for his kind words. And I know that this Nation looks forward to having our Virginia Class submarines being maintained ``fit to fight'' there at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. So I truly appreciate that.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1139, a resolution that recognizes the men and women of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for their service to our military on the 100th anniversary of its opening.

Established by the United States Navy in 1908, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard has a distinguished history of serving our country. Attacked on December 7, 1941, the workers of Pearl Harbor quickly recovered, returning fifteen of eighteen damaged ships to combat within half a year. On June 1, 1942, an extensively damaged USS Yorktown arrived in Pearl Harbor needing repairs that would normally take an estimated four months to complete. Shipyard workers performed these repairs in only 72 hours and returned the Yorktown to sea, where it played a decisive role in the Battle of Midway, the pivotal naval battle in the Pacific during World War II.

The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard currently serves as the home port for seventeen Los Angeles-class submarines and twelve other naval ships. Workers at this shipyard have repaired ships successfully in every war from World War II to the present and are now preparing for the Navy's Virginia-class submarines that are scheduled to begin arriving in 2009. It is time for us to recognize this longstanding commitment to our country and celebrate the tireless contributions of the men and women of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure.