We Are Not A Nation in Decline

Floor Speech

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Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, one of the most ridiculous and, really, almost offensive narratives that is out there is that America is a nation in decline. You see it on social media. You see it at rallies that are being held all across the country.

I would suggest to all of my colleagues, if you really want to see the ultimate rebuttal of that argument, then you should go visit a facility like Naval Station Great Lakes, which is in north Chicago and is the largest training facility for recruits going into the Navy since 1911.

When I was at the national convention back in August, I had a chance to stop by and visit the Great Lakes Naval Station.

I spoke at a graduation ceremony for 946 enlistees. It was just a magnificent sight. It was the melting pot of America, recruits from all over the country, every corner, every ethnic group.

There were naturalized Navy recruits, immigrants who had come to this country and gone through the immigration process to now wear the uniform of our country.

I can tell you, those recruits were ramrod straight and were totally motivated and excited about the decision they made to serve our Nation. In my opinion, that is the best rebuttal to anyone who thinks that this country is headed in the wrong direction.

Last year, the Navy fell short in its recruitment efforts. Their target was 37,700. They ended up recruiting only 30,236.

As the ranking member of the Armed Forces Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, this is an issue of great concern because the tempo of Navy deployments, whether it is in the Middle East, whether it is in the Indo-Pacific, or whether it is in the North Atlantic is really at a high, high level. We need more people, and we need more good people.

Here is the good news. In 2024, the Navy is exceeding its recruiting targets. What we saw at Great Lakes in Chicago was that, in fact, this year, they are having to defer some of the recruits that have signed up coming out of high school this year, and they had to find more beds to accommodate the recruits that are coming into the service.

The young people of this country, in my opinion, that is the most powerful statement about them, the fact that they are willing to put their time and their lives into the decision to serve our Nation.

Another indicator, Mr. Speaker, is how our allies regard us.

Here is a picture from the Groton submarine base in southeastern Connecticut, which I have the honor to serve.

Last year, we passed a measure to establish the Australia, U.K., and U.S. security agreement, AUKUS, which provides for those three countries to unite in terms of pushing back and rebalancing the security environment in the Indo-Pacific.

Crucial to that is joint training of Australian Naval officers and enlisted persons who are going to be undertaking nuclear-powered submarines in the early 2030s built here in the U.S.

This is a graduating class of Aussies in Groton, Connecticut, the first enlisted group. They were tops in the class. They actually ranked higher than Americans who were part of the class that was there.

The excitement and enthusiasm, the passion that they have for their work, but also their love for America was just so powerful.

Talking to these young men who were there that day, one of their first graduates, an officer, was at the helm of the USS Hawaii, a Virginia-class attack submarine, and he drove it into the Navy station in western Australia in Perth.

Again, that training took place here in the U.S., in Groton. That is going to continue. There are over 100 more Australian Naval enlisted and officers that are going to come through this process.

Those countries are committed, and they see the U.S. as really at the center in terms of trying to provide peace and prosperity, supporting the rule of law, and maritime freedom in the Indo-Pacific, which is under such great stress and strain.

Again, we are not a nation in decline. The young people up at the Great Lakes Naval Station and our allies are coming to the U.S. to skill up and uplift in terms of making sure that the mission and the values and interests of democracies in this country are going to survive and prosper well into the 21st century.

Again, I congratulate those sailors, and I congratulate particularly those young 17- and 18-year-olds who enlisted and are in Chicago and who are going to do great things for our Nation.

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