Senate Resolution 60 - Introduced

PAG LIN





  1  1                SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2               BY  SENG, TINSMAN, and WOOD
  1  3 A Resolution urging the President of the United States
  1  4    and the United States Congress to take action to
  1  5    keep the Rock Island Arsenal open.
  1  6    WHEREAS, from the 19th century to the present, the
  1  7 Rock Island Arsenal has been a part of the economic
  1  8 and government service history of the Quad Cities; and
  1  9    WHEREAS, from an employment peak of 18,467 during
  1 10 the height of World War II, the arsenal workforce has
  1 11 shrunk to less than 7,000 employees, and is operating
  1 12 at only 26 percent capacity; and
  1 13    WHEREAS, even at this reduced level, the Rock
  1 14 Island Arsenal employs nearly 7,000 people, making it
  1 15 the second largest employer in the area, supports
  1 16 another 12,000 additional jobs, and pumps more than
  1 17 $855 million a year into the local economy; and
  1 18    WHEREAS, the arsenal is a center for logistics and
  1 19 sustainment excellence for the U.S. Department of
  1 20 Defense (DOD) and is the home to four major U.S. Army
  1 21 headquarters organizations that have regional and
  1 22 global responsibilities to soldiers, ranging from army
  1 23 munitions management to regional installation
  1 24 management; and
  1 25    WHEREAS, the arsenal also houses more than 50 other
  1 26 DOD organizations and provides infrastructure support
  1 27 to all the organizations at the Rock Island facility;
  1 28 and
  1 29    WHEREAS, the arsenal is one of the world's largest
  1 30 weapons manufacturing facilities; and
  2  1    WHEREAS, the Rock Island Arsenal has repeatedly
  2  2 proven that, for small=quantity orders and specialty
  2  3 jobs, it has the expertise, equipment, and dedication
  2  4 to the defense of the United States that cannot be
  2  5 equaled in private industry; and
  2  6    WHEREAS, the preliminary list of bases to be
  2  7 considered for closure by the Defense Base Realignment
  2  8 and Closure Commission includes the Rock Island
  2  9 Arsenal; and
  2 10    WHEREAS, the closure of the Rock Island Arsenal
  2 11 could jeopardize the readiness of United States forces
  2 12 to quickly respond in the war on terror or in any
  2 13 future conflict; NOW THEREFORE,
  2 14    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate urges
  2 15 the President of the United States, the United States
  2 16 Congress, the Secretary of the Department of Defense,
  2 17 and the Chairperson of the Defense Base Realignment
  2 18 and Closure Commission to remove the Rock Island
  2 19 Arsenal from any further consideration for closure and
  2 20 that the arsenal facility be considered for the
  2 21 relocation of existing operations that are to be
  2 22 transferred as part of the current closure process;
  2 23 and
  2 24    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That an official copy of
  2 25 this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the
  2 26 United States, the Secretary of the United States
  2 27 Department of Defense, the Chairperson of the Defense
  2 28 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, and to
  2 29 members of the Iowa congressional delegation.
  2 30 LSB 3689SS 81
  3  1 jr:rj/gg/14