H.R. No. 784
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Ellington Field plays an important role in the
Houston-area economy while contributing to the defense of our
nation; and
WHEREAS, Ellington Field was constructed in 1917 and served
as a training base for military air personnel during World War I and
World War II and as a navigator training school in the 1950s; NASA
became a tenant there in 1962, and in 1984, Ellington Field was
taken over by the City of Houston; today, it continues to provide
support for military reserve and guard units even as it serves as a
base for a variety of commercial operations; and
WHEREAS, Featuring commands from all five Department of
Defense and Department of Homeland Security military services,
Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base has grown to include more than
6,000 active, reserve, and guard members; it is home to the 147th
Reconnaissance Wing, which is at the forefront of the trend toward
unmanned aircraft that is transforming the Air Force and Air Guard;
and
WHEREAS, The region served by the Ellington Field JRB is
vital to national security and the only one in the country
containing all 17 national asset categories identified by the
Department of Homeland Security as prime potential targets for
global terrorism; a $100 million expansion now in progress is
vastly increasing the defense capabilities of the base and will
have an enormous economic impact on surrounding communities, with
estimates ranging to nearly $700 million; and
WHEREAS, Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base provides a strong
stimulus to the Houston-area economy and is poised to take on an
ever-greater role in the defense of the Lone Star State, the Gulf
Coast region, and the nation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United
States to fully support the vital operations and joint force
structure at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward official copies of
this resolution to the president of the United States, to the
president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, to the secretary of
defense, to the secretary of homeland security, to the secretary of
veterans affairs, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to
Congress with the request that this resolution be entered in the
Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United
States of America.
Legler
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 784 was adopted by the House on April
26, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House