Senate Resolution 62 - Introduced

PAG LIN





  1  1                SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2               BY  SENG, WOOD, and TINSMAN
  1  3 A Resolution urging the President of the United
  1  4    States and the United States Congress to take action
  1  5    to keep all current organizations and positions at
  1  6    the Rock Island Arsenal.
  1  7    WHEREAS, from the 19th century to the present, the
  1  8 Rock Island Arsenal has been a part of the economic
  1  9 and government service history of the Quad Cities; and
  1 10    WHEREAS, from an employment peak of 18,467 during
  1 11 the height of World War II, the arsenal workforce has
  1 12 shrunk to less than 7,000 employees, and is operating
  1 13 at only 45 percent capacity; and
  1 14    WHEREAS, even at this reduced level, the Rock
  1 15 Island Arsenal employs approximately 6,400 people,
  1 16 making it the second largest employer in the area,
  1 17 supports another 12,500 additional jobs, and pumps
  1 18 more than $1.1 billion a year into the local economy;
  1 19 and
  1 20    WHEREAS, the arsenal is a center for logistics and
  1 21 sustainment excellence for the U.S. Department of
  1 22 Defense and is the home to three major U.S. Army
  1 23 headquarters organizations that have regional and
  1 24 global responsibilities to soldiers, ranging from army
  1 25 munitions management to global logistics management;
  1 26 and
  1 27    WHEREAS, the arsenal also houses more than 60 other
  1 28 U.S. Department of Defense organizations and provides
  1 29 infrastructure support to all the organizations at the
  1 30 Rock Island facility; and
  2  1    WHEREAS, the Joint Manufacturing and Technology
  2  2 Center at the arsenal is one of the world's largest
  2  3 weapons manufacturing facilities; and has repeatedly
  2  4 proven that, for small=quantity orders and specialty
  2  5 jobs, it has the expertise, equipment, and dedication
  2  6 to the defense of the United States that cannot be
  2  7 equaled in private industry; and
  2  8    WHEREAS, the preliminary list of bases to be
  2  9 considered for realignment by the Defense Base
  2 10 Realignment and Closure Commission includes the Rock
  2 11 Island Arsenal; and
  2 12    WHEREAS, the realignment of the Rock Island Arsenal
  2 13 and the recommended loss of approximately 1,700 jobs
  2 14 could jeopardize the readiness of United States forces
  2 15 to quickly respond in the war on terror or in any
  2 16 future conflict; NOW THEREFORE,
  2 17    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate urges
  2 18 the President of the United States, the United States
  2 19 Congress, the Secretary of the Department of Defense,
  2 20 and the Chairperson of the Defense Base Realignment
  2 21 and Closure Commission to remove the Rock Island
  2 22 Arsenal from any further consideration for realignment
  2 23 and that the arsenal facility be considered for the
  2 24 relocation of existing operations that are to be
  2 25 transferred as part of the current realignment and
  2 26 closure process; and
  2 27    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That an official copy of
  2 28 this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the
  2 29 United States, the Secretary of the United States
  2 30 Department of Defense, the Chairperson of the Defense
  3  1 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, and to
  3  2 members of the Iowa congressional delegation.
  3  3 LSB 3701SS 81
  3  4 jr:rj/gg/14