Southern Nevada Readiness Center Act

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of H.R. 4382, the Southern Nevada Readiness Center Act. I would like to thank the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), as well as the Nevada National Guard and Clark County, Nevada, for their strong support of this legislation.

The purpose of H.R. 4382 is to convey 35 to 50 acres of land from the McCarran Airport Cooperative Management Area Boundary to the Nevada National Guard in the State of Nevada for the purpose of building the Nevada National Guard Readiness Center. This new center will reside in my district in southern Nevada.

The Nevada Army National Guard is an impressive group of soldiers whose work contributes to the United States military's overall mission of defending our homeland. More specifically, the Nevada National Guard maintains a three-part mission geared to the Federal, State and community. The underlying focus of each individual mission is for the safety, the protection and the well-being of the American people.

Under the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization for fiscal year 2005, over $12.8 million was secured to construct a new Nevada National Guard Readiness Center in southern Nevada. Additionally, during their 2005 legislative work period, the Nevada State legislature approved matching funds and has appropriated over $27 million for the construction of and projects associated with the Readiness Center.

The State of Nevada is firmly committed to ensuring that we do our part to defend our homeland and that our guard is prepared to respond to any national security threats facing our State and Nation.

The Southern Nevada Readiness Center is an essential link to helping the State meet its commitment to train guardsmen to respond to chemical, biological and other terrorist threats against Nevada and our Nation.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this very important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4382) to provide for the conveyance of certain land in Clark County, Nevada, for use by the Nevada National Guard.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4382, introduced by the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter), would allow Clark County, Nevada, to convey 35 to 50 acres to the State and exempt them from paying 85 percent of the land value which is required by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. The State of Nevada would like to build a National Guard facility, the Southern Nevada Readiness Center, on this land. The Center would likely serve as the new Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team for the State and serve related purposes for the protection of McCarran airport. Currently, National Guard units in Las Vegas must serve and operate from locations spread over 25 miles.

I urge passage of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the bill, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter).

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers; and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, we support H.R. 4382; and I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter). We have no objection to the adoption of the legislation by the House today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to state my support for our National Guard Civil Support Teams and for H.R. 4382. We fought long and hard for our CST in Guam and just broke ground for our facility last month.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.