H*3616 Session 110 (1993-1994)
H*3616 Resolution, By H.G. Hutson
A House Resolution to urge the Department of Defense, the United States
Congress, and the President to remove from any further consideration for base
closure the Charleston Naval Base and other military installations and to halt
the activities of the Base Closure Commission until its mission can be
reexamined.
03/03/93 House Introduced HJ-17
03/03/93 House Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial
Resolutions HJ-17
03/04/93 House Committee report: Favorable Invitations and
Memorial Resolutions HJ-3
03/04/93 House Adopted HJ-3
A HOUSE RESOLUTION
TO URGE THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, THE UNITED
STATES CONGRESS, AND THE PRESIDENT TO REMOVE FROM
ANY FURTHER CONSIDERATION FOR BASE CLOSURE THE
CHARLESTON NAVAL BASE AND OTHER MILITARY
INSTALLATIONS AND TO HALT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BASE
CLOSURE COMMISSION UNTIL ITS MISSION CAN BE
REEXAMINED.
Whereas, the Charleston Naval Base and forces afloat; the Navy
Shipyard; the Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center; the Naval
Weapons Station; the Polaris Missile Facility Atlantic; the Naval
Facilities Engineering Command; the Naval Supply Center; the
Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair; and the Naval
Hospital and branch clinics are purported to be among those bases and
facilities being considered by the United States Department of Defense
for closing; and
Whereas, these Navy facilities and presence substantially impact the
economy in South Carolina and particularly in the Charleston Trident
area with well over a billion-dollar payroll for over thirty-five thousand
active duty, civilian, and contract civilian employees; and
Whereas, the multiplier effect of this one billion-dollar payroll is an
additional two billion dollars for a total of three billion dollars, a
substantial contribution to South Carolina's economy; and
Whereas, the shipyard in Charleston, one of the oldest shipyards in the
country having been established about one hundred years ago, has been
cited as the most efficient public shipyard in the country repairing
nuclear submarines and is second in efficiency only to a nonnuclear
repair shipyard with an average man-day cost of three hundred seventy
dollars while the average man-day cost among the other public shipyards
in the country is four hundred eighty dollars; and
Whereas, the shipyard employees include among them one of the highest
percentages of minority workers compared to other shipyards; and
Whereas, presently the United States Navy uses repair facilities in
foreign countries, specifically the United States Navy Ship Repair
Facility in Yokosuka, Japan, to work on United States Navy ships and
spent one hundred sixty-three million dollars to pay foreigners to work
on these ships in 1991 and plans to spend 1.1 billion more on overseas
ship repairs through 1998; and
Whereas, from 1987 through 1991 the United States Navy spent on
overseas ship repairs 1.3 billion dollars, of which ninety-seven million
dollars were spent on private Japanese workers at Yokosuka, one
hundred three million on United States Navy Japanese workers at
Yokosuka, and one hundred three million dollars on other foreign
contractors; and
seventy-seven percent of the 1.3 billion dollars spent on overseas ship
repairs were for the Atlantic Fleet; and
Whereas, while Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester Counties lost
almost three thousand naval shipyard workers during a one-year period,
the United States Navy paid four thousand nine hundred thirty-one
foreigners to work on American ships; and
Whereas, the closure of efficient economical shipyard facilities in the
United States is being threatened, in particular the Charleston Naval
Shipyard, and the American work force is being deprived of continued
livelihood while naval ship repair is being directed to foreign facilities;
and
Whereas, closure of Charleston's Naval Base Shipyard and associated
facilities would directly displace not only Navy personnel and
employees but would also affect thousands of dependent families in the
area. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the Department of Defense, the United States Congress, and the
President are urged to remove from consideration for closure by the
Department of Defense the vital Naval Base, shipyard, and associated
facilities in Charleston, as well as any other military installations
elsewhere in the United States.
Be it further resolved that the activities of the Base Closure Commission
be halted until the Congress can reexamine the Commission's mission in
order to give it a constructive role based on a thorough understanding of
current and anticipated national security needs and the implications of
potential changes in military forces and infrastructure to the national,
state, and local economies.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the
President of the United States, the Clerk of the United States House of
Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, the Secretary
of Defense, and the South Carolina Congressional Delegation.
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