“Mr. Speaker, I thank four former officers of the United States Navy – Representatives Murphy, Broun, Bridenstine, and DeSantis–for joining me as I rise in tribute to 12 Americans, almost all Federal employees, who lost their lives in the service of the United States yesterday in a mass shooting at the Navy Yard”, said Rep. Norton on September 17, 2013.
On September 17, 2013 Rep. Eleanor Norton was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for one minute regarding the tragic murder of 12 Americans at the Navy Yard in Washington.
“Mr. Speaker, I thank four former officers of the United States Navy – Representatives Murphy, Broun, Bridenstine, and DeSantis–for joining me as I rise in tribute to 12 Americans, almost all Federal employees, who lost their lives in the service of the United States yesterday in a mass shooting at the Navy Yard. They were civilian employees doing work for the Naval Sea Systems Command. Unlike the blue collar workers of the old Navy Yard, Naval Sea Systems Command employees are skilled white collar workers, highly trained to offer technical support for building, buying, and manufacturing the Navy’s ships and combat systems.”
“The Navy Yard was renovated with historic deference to the old manufacturing workplace, and the Naval Sea Systems Command jump-started the development of the neighborhood that received them. The Naval Sea Systems Command became a good neighbor, though we knew little of the work done in that secure facility. We did know this: these Federal employees deserved our respect and our admiration because they and their work were vital to our Nation”, he said.
“We ask the House to join us for a moment of silence for these 12 who gave all they had for their country: Michael Arnold, Martin Bodrog, Arthur Daniels, Sylvia Frasier, Kathleen Gaarde, John Roger Johnson, Mary Francis Knight, Frank Kohler, Vishnu Pandit, Kenneth Bernard Proctor, Gerald L. Read, and Richard Michael Ridgell”, said Rep. Norton (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov/).
The speech was followed by a moment of silence.