Floor SpeechNeutral2026-02-10

HONORING THE SERVICE OF RONALD O'ROURKE

TaxesEnvironmentForeign PolicyChina

Context

On 2026-02-10, Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT-2) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING THE SERVICE OF RONALD O'ROURKE" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, foreign policy.

Full Text

HONORING THE SERVICE OF RONALD O'ROURKE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E122] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE SERVICE OF RONALD O'ROURKE ______ HON. JOE COURTNEY of connecticut in the house of representatives Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take a moment to honor an extraordinary public servant and pay special tribute to Ronald O'Rourke for his 42 years of service to Congress and the American people as a Specialist in Naval Affairs at the Congressional Research Service, or CRS. Mr. O'Rourke began his service with CRS on January 17, 1984, and retired on January 31, 2026. Mr. O'Rourke is a foremost expert in naval affairs, whose writing draws admiration and attention from Congress and defense journalism alike. Throughout his career at CRS, he regularly briefed Members of Congress and their personal staff, committee staff, and testified before congressional committees on topics pertaining to naval and defense policy. The Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces most recently received Mr. O'Rourke's testimony in March 2025, where he spoke to the state of U.S. shipbuilding. His tenure at CRS provided him insight into many iterations of the U.S. Navy, from the shipbuilding slump of the Post-Cold War era to the modern reinvigoration of the U.S. maritime industrial base. Mr. O'Rourke wrote many reports for Congress on various issues relating to the Navy, Coast Guard shipbuilding, the shipbuilding industrial base, China's naval forces and other foreign navies, U.S.- China strategic competition in the South and East China seas, U.S. defense strategy, defense acquisition policy including block-buy contracting and multi-year procurement, the international security environment including the U.S. role in the world, and the Arctic. Mr. O'Rourke's annual publishing on Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding is a touchstone of his contributions to this institution--and is a personal favorite of mine. He has presented at CRS's New Member Seminar, an orientation for new Members of Congress in Williamsburg, Virginia, regularly participated in CRS's annual defense budget seminar for congressional staff, and presented at various other CRS programs. Mr. O'Rourke has been repeatedly recognized for his expertise, professionalism, and dedication to public service. In 1996, he received a Distinguished Service Award from the Library of Congress for his service to Congress on naval issues. In 2010, he was honored under the Great Federal Employees Initiative for his work on naval, strategic, and budgetary issues. In 2012, he received the CRS Director's Award for his outstanding contributions in support of the Congress and the mission of CRS. During his tenure at CRS, he has mentored numerous colleagues on various aspects of defense policy analysis, from serving as a critical source of institutional memory on past debates to hosting brownbag lunches on ways to organize written products. In 2017, he received the Superior Public Service Award from the Navy for service in a variety of roles at CRS while providing analysis of benefit to the Navy for a period spanning decades. He is the author of several journal articles on naval issues and is a past winner of the U.S. Naval Institute's Arleigh Burke essay contest. Mr. O'Rourke is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where he received his B.A. in International Studies, and a valedictorian graduate of the University's Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, where he received his M.A. in the same field. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee for 19 years, I have had the privilege of working with Ron, who was always available to answer any inquiry and share his deep historical knowledge of our Nation's sea services. On behalf of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the American people, I express deep gratitude for Mr. O'Rourke's contributions during his more than four decades at CRS. Along with his family, friends, and colleagues, I thank him and wish him and his wife Mary Fitch all the best in retirement. ____________________

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HONORING THE SERVICE OF RONALD O'ROURKE Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E122] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE SERVICE OF RONALD O'ROURKE ______ HON. JOE COURTNEY of connecticut in the house of representatives Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take a moment to honor an extraordinary public servant and pay special tribute to Ronald O'Rourke for his 42 years of service to Congress and the American people as a Specialist in Naval Affairs at the Congressional Research Service, or CRS. Mr. O'Rourke began his service with CRS on January 17, 1984, and retired on January 31, 2026. Mr. O'Rourke is a foremost expert in naval affairs, whose writing draws admiration and attention from Congress and defense journalism alike. Throughout his career at CRS, he regularly briefed Members of Congress and their personal staff, committee staff, and testified before congressional committees on topics pertaining to naval and defense policy. The Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces most recently received Mr. O'Rourke's testimony in March 2025, where he spoke to the state of U.S. shipbuilding. His tenure at CRS provided him insight into many iterations of the U.S. Navy, from the shipbuilding slump of the Post-Cold War era to the modern reinvigoration of the U.S. maritime industrial base. Mr. O'Rourke wrote many reports for Congress on various issues relating to the Navy, Coast Guard shipbuilding, the shipbuilding industrial base, China's naval forces and other foreign navies, U.S.- China strategic competition in the South and East China seas, U.S. defense strategy, defense acquisition policy including block-buy contracting and multi-year procurement, the international security environment including the U.S. role in the world, and the Arctic. Mr. O'Rourke's annual publishing on Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding is a touchstone of his contributions to this institution--and is a personal favorite of mine. He has presented at CRS's New Member Seminar, an orientation for new Members of Congress in Williamsburg, Virginia, regularly participated in CRS's annual defense budget seminar for congressional staff, and presented at various other CRS programs. Mr. O'Rourke has been repeatedly recognized for his expertise, professionalism, and dedication to public service. In 1996, he received a Distinguished Service Award from the Library of Congress for his service to Congress on naval issues. In 2010, he was honored under the Great Federal Employees Initiative for his work on naval, strategic, and budgetary issues. In 2012, he received the CRS Director's Award for his outstanding contributions in support of the Congress and the mission of CRS. During his tenure at CRS, he has mentored numerous colleagues on various aspects of defense policy analysis, from serving as a critical source of institutional memory on past debates to hosting brownbag lunches on ways to organize written products. In 2017, he received the Superior Public Service Award from the Navy for service in a variety of roles at CRS while providing analysis of benefit to the Navy for a period spanning decades. He is the author of several journal articles on naval issues and is a past winner of the U.S. Naval Institute's Arleigh Burke essay contest. Mr. O'Rourke is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where he received his B.A. in International Studies, and a valedictorian graduate of the University's Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, where he received his M.A. in the same field. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee for 19 years, I have had the privilege of working with Ron, who was always available to answer any inquiry and share his deep historical knowledge of our Nation's sea services. On behalf of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the American people, I express deep gratitude for Mr. O'Rourke's contributions during his more than four decades at CRS. Along with his family, friends, and colleagues, I thank him and wish him and his wife Mary Fitch all the best in retirement. ____________________