By Jackson                                           H.C.R. No. 188
       74R11963 CCK-F
                              HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, The recent proposal to consolidate and downsize the
    1-2  operations of the Johnson Space Center, as contained in a white
    1-3  paper issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    1-4  (NASA), portends an action that would severely impact the Texas
    1-5  economy; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, The economic impact of the breakup and transfer of
    1-7  this valuable resource to other states is expected to exceed $1
    1-8  billion; other long-term consequences are incalculable, and the
    1-9  reorganization plan has no demonstrated cost savings; and
   1-10        WHEREAS, If the proposal is implemented, this state stands to
   1-11  lose thousands of jobs associated with the aerospace industry; cuts
   1-12  of the magnitude contemplated for the center would cost the greater
   1-13  Houston area and Texas from 3,500 to 7,000 primary jobs and up to
   1-14  21,000 secondary, retail, and support jobs; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, Already, Texas has been affected negatively as a
   1-16  consequence of previous NASA restructuring and downsizing; in 1994
   1-17  alone, more than 2,000 direct Johnson Space Center jobs were
   1-18  eliminated because of space station redesign; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, Every dollar invested in the space program yields up
   1-20  to seven dollars in new products, technologies, and processes of
   1-21  everyday value to the citizenry, and the relocation of Johnson
   1-22  Space Center positions outside the state would reduce Texas' share
   1-23  of present and future investment opportunities and associated
   1-24  investment benefits; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, The approach of integrated design and development
    2-2  has a proven record of accomplishment in the Mercury, Gemini,
    2-3  Apollo, and Shuttle programs; the International Space Station was
    2-4  purposely located at the center to promote integration and is on
    2-5  budget and on time, and the breakup of the integrated engineering,
    2-6  operations, and management functions that support the shuttle and
    2-7  space station, and that once put men on the moon, could well signal
    2-8  the end of human spaceflight and the eventual closure of the
    2-9  Johnson Space Center; now, therefore, be it
   2-10        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   2-11  hereby reject the contentions contained in the NASA white paper
   2-12  regarding the Johnson Space Center and respectfully urge the
   2-13  Congress of the United States to countermand the NASA proposal to
   2-14  consolidate and downsize the operations of the center; and, be it
   2-15  further
   2-16        RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
   2-17  copies of this resolution to the administrator of NASA, to the
   2-18  president of the United States, to the speaker of the house of
   2-19  representatives and president of the senate of the United States
   2-20  Congress, and to all members of the Texas delegation to the
   2-21  congress with the request that it be officially entered in the
   2-22  Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United
   2-23  States.