GREAT JOB PUTTING CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REFORM IS A TOP
PRIORITY.
ADAM: NEXT QUESTION.
JOHN: THE HOUSE AND SENATE HAVE
PASSED VERSIONS OF A DEFENSE
SPENDING BILL WITH SIMILAR
PROVISIONS TO NAME -- RENAME
LUKE PERRY BASES AFTER
CONFEDERATE LEADERS.
-- RENAME BASE IS NAMED AFTER
CONFEDERATE LEADERS.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO
CONSTITUENTS WHO MIGHT BE
OFFENDED BY THOSE NAMES IF YOU
DO NOT SUPPORT RENAMING?
MR. NEGRON: THAT IS A GREAT
QUESTION.
I WOULD VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE ANY
RENAMING OF A BASE.
HAVING BEEN IN THE MILITARY AND
HAVING A SON IN ACTIVE-DUTY, MY
FAMILY HAS 114 YEARS OF MILITARY
SERVICE.
WHEN WE GO TO A BASE, WE DON’T
LOOK AT WHAT THE NAME IS.
DID YOU SERVE AT F.E. WARREN?
IT REALLY IS A PLACE THAT WE
ACTUALLY COME TOGETHER BECAUSE
WE CHEWED THE SAME DIRT THERE.
I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
I’M NOT TRYING TO PAY FOR THE
SINS OF MY FATHER.
TODAY, IT MEANS SOMETHING TO US.
IF YOU ARE AN AIRBORNE GUY, YOU
ARE AT BRAGG.
IF YOU ARE A BOMBER GUY, YOU ARE
AT WHITEMAN.
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER
SERVED AND WANT TO CHANGE THESE
NAMES BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT IS
SORT OF RACIALLY MOTIVATED, THEY
DON’T UNDERSTAND THE CAMARADERIE
THAT UNDER -- HAPPENS AT A
MILITARY INSTALLATION THAT 30
YEARS FROM NOW YOU SAY, WORK YOU
WHAT WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE?
IT IS A CALL TOGETHER, IT IS NOT
A CALL TO SEPARATE.
JOHN: MR. NEGRON -- MS.
BLANKENBEKER?
MS. BLANKENBEKER: OUR MILITARY
BASES ARE NAMED AFTER MILITARY
HEROES.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED
TO THE UNITED STATES AND VERY
HEROIC WAYS.
IT IS A HUGE PART OF OUR FABRIC,
A PART OF OUR MILITARY HISTORY,
OUR MILITARY HERITAGE, AND OUR
COUNTRY’S HISTORY.
IT CELEBRATES HEROES.
SO, I WOULD BE -- I SUPPORT THE
PRESIDENT IN HIS VETO OF WANTING
TO RENAME MILITARY BASES.
I DO THINK THAT WE CAN BE
CULTURALLY AWARE AND CERTAINLY
RACIALLY SENSITIVE, BUT WHAT WE
ARE CELEBRATING WITH THOSE NAMES
ARE THE HEROIC ACTS OF THOSE
MEMBERS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS
THAT SIGNIFICANTLY SHAPED AND
CHANGED TO OUR COUNTRY IS AND
WHAT OUR COUNTRY IS.
WE CANNOT CHANGE HISTORY BY
CHANGI
