Courtney Attends 'Farewell Tribute' For Secnav Ray Mabus

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, made the following statement after attending the farewell tribute in honor of Ray Mabus, the 75th Secretary of the Navy, who will retire later this month: 

“Secretary Ray Mabus has made a profound impact on eastern Connecticut, on the shipbuilding industry, and the entire U.S. Navy during his distinguished term as the 75th Secretary of the Navy. Secretary Mabus is leaving us with a stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient Navy than when his term began.

“Among his lasting legacies will be the reversal of a steady decline in the fleet and shipbuilding. Under Secretary Mabus’s eight year term, the Navy doubled the number of ships under contract compared to the eight years prior to his arrival. This sharp increase in shipbuilding has arrested a decline in the fleet and put us on the path towards the larger Navy that we all know is critical for our national security. In addition, the new force structure assessment completed under his watch has laid the ground work for a more robust fleet in the future, and set the benchmark for the challenging work ahead.

“Some time after being named as ranking member of the Seapower subcommittee, I stopped by Secretary Mabus’s office to present him with a custom license plate that reads: ‘Ten Sub Ray’.  He has more than earned this moniker because under his watch the Navy signed the largest shipbuilding contract in American history to build ten Virginia-class submarines over a five-year period. As Secretary Mabus likes to remind people, we were able to secure those ten subs for the price of nine.

“From the hearing room to the shipyard, Secretary Mabus has been leader and a gentleman. I thank him for his friendship and guidance over the years, and the nation thanks him for his service.”

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