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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Ellington Field plays an important role in the |
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Houston-area economy while contributing to the defense of our |
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nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Ellington Field was constructed in 1917 and served |
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as a training base for military air personnel during World War I and |
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World War II and as a navigator training school in the 1950s; NASA |
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became a tenant there in 1962, and in 1984, Ellington Field was |
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taken over by the City of Houston; today, it continues to provide |
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support for military reserve and guard units even as it serves as a |
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base for a variety of commercial operations; and |
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WHEREAS, Featuring commands from all five Department of |
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Defense and Department of Homeland Security military services, |
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Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base has grown to include more than |
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6,000 active, reserve, and guard members; it is home to the 147th |
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Reconnaissance Wing, which is at the forefront of the trend toward |
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unmanned aircraft that is transforming the Air Force and Air Guard; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The region served by the Ellington Field JRB is |
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vital to national security and the only one in the country |
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containing all 17 national asset categories identified by the |
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Department of Homeland Security as prime potential targets for |
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global terrorism; a $100 million expansion now in progress is |
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vastly increasing the defense capabilities of the base and will |
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have an enormous economic impact on surrounding communities, with |
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estimates ranging to nearly $700 million; and |
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WHEREAS, Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base provides a strong |
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stimulus to the Houston-area economy and is poised to take on an |
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ever-greater role in the defense of the Lone Star State, the Gulf |
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Coast region, and the nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United |
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States to fully support the vital operations and joint force |
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structure at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward official copies of |
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this resolution to the president of the United States, to the |
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president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, to the secretary of |
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defense, to the secretary of homeland security, to the secretary of |
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veterans affairs, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to |
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Congress with the request that this resolution be entered in the |
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Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United |
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States of America. |