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Congresswoman McCollum to Attend Commissioning of Virginia Class Submarine – the U.S.S. Minnesota – in Norfolk, VA

September 6, 2013

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN04), a member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, will travel on Saturday, September 7, 2013 to attend the commissioning ceremony for the U.S.S. Minnesota (SSN 783), a Virginia-class submarine, in Norfolk, VA. Joining Rep. McCollum at the ceremony will be the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Al Franken (D-MN), and other state and local officials from Minnesota.

In reverence to the occasion, Congresswoman McCollum will deliver remarks and wish the ship and crew good luck in her role defending the United States of America.

The U.S.S. Minnesota is only the third U.S. Navy Ship to bear the state’s name, the first two having been launched in 1855 and 1905, respectively. The honor of having a US Navy ship named after a state is a storied tradition, reaching far back in the nation’s history. In 1819, Congress put the naming of ships in the hands of the U.S. Secretary of the Navy under direction of the President.

The U.S.S. Minnesota is part of the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class of submarines, the most technologically advanced submarines in the world. Measured at nearly 380 feet long, the submarine can reach speeds of over 25 knots and has the ability to stay submerged for three months at a time.

Interested media outlets are asked to contact Matthew Hilgart at: matthew.hilgart@mail.house.gov

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Congresswoman Betty McCollum is a member of the House Appropriations Committee andserves as the Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus