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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Over the past eight years, the State of Texas and the |
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City of San Antonio have partnered in the redevelopment of Kelly Air |
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Force Base at the Port of San Antonio to create a world-class |
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aerospace center in support of U.S. Air Force soldiers; and |
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WHEREAS, Several top-level defense contractors have provided |
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significant private investment in leased facilities at the Port of |
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San Antonio to perform world-class Air Force aircraft maintenance, |
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repair, and operations (MRO) while employing approximately 3,300 |
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people; and |
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WHEREAS, These MRO defense contractors have invested heavily |
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in the development of the San Antonio workforce by providing |
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training in state-of-the-art technical operations, productivity |
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improvement, worker safety, and employee involvement to develop a |
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highly skilled workforce that has demonstrated outstanding |
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performance for their military clients; and |
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WHEREAS, Moreover, these defense contractors and their |
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employees contribute to our nation's defense preparedness by |
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providing critical aircraft systems maintenance, repair, overhaul, |
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and support services to optimize air force fleet utilization; and |
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WHEREAS, The world-class performance of the defense industry |
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and its highly trained workforce provides military customers with |
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the best value in performance measured by lowest cost, highest |
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quality, and on-time delivery; this is in the best interest of our |
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soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other high-priority |
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regions of the world; and |
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WHEREAS, Maintaining military industry MRO at the Port of San |
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Antonio, in association with government-owned military depots |
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performing MRO throughout the United States, is critical to our |
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national security interests, permitting the nation to preserve |
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strategic capability by maintaining a high state of readiness |
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during this time of high-threat conflict; and |
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WHEREAS, Section 2466, Title 10, United States Code, |
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prohibits more than 50 percent of designated core depot work being |
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performed by nonfederal government personnel; however, internal |
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air force accounting for industry and depot MRO may not properly |
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reflect work performed by depots in "public/private partnerships," |
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thereby overstating the reported percentage of work performed by |
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nongovernment personnel; and |
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WHEREAS, As the air force considers moving work from the Port |
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of San Antonio to air force depots, due consideration may not be |
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given for reasonable business costs such as capital funding for |
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construction and other costs, research and development, |
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procurement, benefits and future pension costs, and other related |
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costs, resulting in a decision based on inaccurate information; and |
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WHEREAS, The significant investments made by industry, the |
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Port of San Antonio, and the State of Texas to support the national |
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MRO defense industrial base and workforce should be considered |
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before the air force invests in duplicate capabilities; and |
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WHEREAS, The MRO at the Port of San Antonio should maintain |
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its highly skilled workforce so essential to the national interest; |
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unfortunately, this requisite private industry support will be lost |
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forever if allowed to be degraded due to inadequate attention; and |
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WHEREAS, MRO operations and workforce competency and ability |
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are driven by a spirit to compete for work that provides best value |
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to our military customers; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby congratulate MRO defense employees located at the Port of |
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San Antonio for their commitment to supporting our soldiers and |
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taxpayers; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby request that the |
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United States Air Force consider the impact on our soldiers in Iraq, |
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Afghanistan, and elsewhere, and the American taxpayers, as it |
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determines its national public and private industrial base policy |
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and considers relocating work from the Port of San Antonio to |
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military depots; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature request that the air force |
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consider workforce performance, capital and construction costs, |
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benefits and future pension costs, and existing national industrial |
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base, including the private sector, as it considers the work |
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transfer; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the secretary of the United States Air |
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Force. |