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Floor Speech

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Mr. BUDD. Then, as now, the naming of a ship is not just a top-down affair. It demands the input and consideration of the journey men and women who constructed her, as well as her prospective crew and captain, right down to the lowest ranking sailor.

Those individuals are known in naval tradition as plank owners, and that title brings with it an honor that they were the first to sail aboard a ship that will serve our country for generations. That is an honor that transcends political partisanship and differences of opinion, and it belongs to the sailors.

It is no secret that the last administration took a top-down approach to the naming of our newest class of USNS oilers. In doing so, they broke with important naval customs and traditions and robbed the USNS plank owners of the chance to name these vessels after what mattered most to them.

It is true that civilian leaders in Congress and the White House have always had a say in ship naming as well. George Washington selected the names of our first six frigates, but he did so from a list provided by the plank owners--the ships' crews and captains.

Navy tradition, like the name of a ship, lives in the hearts and minds of every sailor, and these traditions are vital to preserving the morale and fighting spirit of our forces. Resetting the stage is not a political issue. It is bringing things back in line with naval custom and tradition. It will allow the Secretary of the Navy to consider the input of new ship plank owners so that he can name this class of ships after the things that matter most to America's sailors.

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