| 1 | 1 | | 2015S0579-1 03/27/15 |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Taylor of Galveston S.R. No. 451 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | SENATE RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Pentagon could realize significant savings by |
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| 7 | 7 | | relocating the United States Africa Command from Germany to |
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| 8 | 8 | | Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, When the Africa command was created in 2007, the |
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| 10 | 10 | | Department of Defense chose a temporary location in Stuttgart; it |
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| 11 | 11 | | intended to select a permanent headquarters in Africa, but set |
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| 12 | 12 | | this plan aside due to cost projections and the sensitivities of |
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| 13 | 13 | | African nations; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, The Department of Defense conducted a study in |
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| 15 | 15 | | 2012 that found maintaining the Africa command headquarters |
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| 16 | 16 | | stateside would cost $60 million to $70 million less per year; |
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| 17 | 17 | | although relocation would involve expense, this expense could be |
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| 18 | 18 | | recouped within two to six years; moreover, the relocation would |
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| 19 | 19 | | create as many as 4,300 additional jobs for United |
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| 20 | 20 | | States residents, and it would have an annual impact on the local |
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| 21 | 21 | | economy ranging from $350 million to $450 million; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Should the defense department decide to relocate |
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| 23 | 23 | | the United States Africa Command, the Ellington Field Joint |
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| 24 | 24 | | Reserve Base in Houston would be an ideal home for the |
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| 25 | 25 | | headquarters; the base features strong joint service military |
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| 26 | 26 | | value of active duty, reserve, and guard units from all five |
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| 27 | 27 | | United States armed services, some of which presently conduct |
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| 28 | 28 | | training and operational missions for the command; it is also |
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| 29 | 29 | | equipped to handle military aircraft, and the city boasts one of |
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| 30 | 30 | | the nation's most vibrant ports; moreover, the community is |
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| 31 | 31 | | exceptionally supportive of the military, and the Greater |
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| 32 | 32 | | Houston area has strong cultural, educational, medical, and |
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| 33 | 33 | | diplomatic ties with Africa; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, The Government Accountability Office has |
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| 35 | 35 | | concluded that the relocation of the Africa command to the United |
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| 36 | 36 | | States would generate tremendous cost savings and economic |
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| 37 | 37 | | benefits, and Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base offers |
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| 38 | 38 | | advantages that would enhance the effectiveness of the |
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| 39 | 39 | | headquarters; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th |
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| 41 | 41 | | Legislature, hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress |
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| 42 | 42 | | to direct the Department of Defense to relocate the United States |
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| 43 | 43 | | Africa Command to Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston; |
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| 44 | 44 | | and, be it further |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the secretary of the senate forward |
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| 46 | 46 | | official copies of this resolution to the president of the United |
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| 47 | 47 | | States, to the secretary of the Department of Defense, to the |
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| 48 | 48 | | president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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| 49 | 49 | | Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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| 50 | 50 | | members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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| 51 | 51 | | this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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| 52 | 52 | | memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |
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