Visit With Navy League

Floor Speech

VISIT WITH NAVY LEAGUE -- (House of Representatives - June 27, 2007)

(Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I had the opportunity to meet with council president Jim Smith and vice president Ted Brice, as well as other members of the Hilton Head Island Council of the Navy League.

The Navy League was formed in 1902 with the objective and purpose of educating and motivating the American people to support our maritime capabilities, services and personnel. One of their main focuses is on maintaining a strong maritime component to our national defense.

As a member of the Subcommittee on Sea Power and Expeditionary Forces and a member of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus, I have seen firsthand that the decline in our Naval ships is a threat to our national security. In the past 20 years, the U.S. Naval fleet has been cut in half to its lowest numbers since World War I. We need to push to increase our Nation's shipbuilding capability from our current average of six ships a year to a minimum of 10 so that we can be able to meet America's global security needs.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11th.

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