FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2005
CONTACT: Chris Paulitz
SENATORS HUTCHISON, CORNYN HOST WASHINGTON BRAC MEETING WITH TEXARKANA OFFICIALS
Vow to work to save Red River and Lone Star
WASHINGTON, DC -- Texas Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn today held a meeting with Arkansas Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, and U.S. Representatives Ralph Hall (R-TX) and Michael Ross (D-AR) to discuss the future of Red River Army Depot and the Lone Star Ammunition Plant. The meeting was held with Texarkana representatives visiting Washington, D.C., as the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process continues. Former Texarkana Mayor John Jarvis and Texarkana Chamber of Commerce Representative Jerry Sparks were among the Texarkana officials who attended the meeting. Bowie County Judge James Carlow was unable to attend but participated via conference call.
"We have two states impacted by the proposed closure of Red River Army Depot and the Lone Star Ammunition Plant. Our two states will make a joint presentation and a united front," said Sen. Hutchison, Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee. "These bases play a critical role in our nation's War on Terror and losing either of them would be detrimental to our efforts. We continue to demand the Department of Defense release all data used to make their BRAC determinations - we need all the information available to save these bases. Texarkana is proud of its work in support of our nation's military and we are committed to its prosperous future."
"This meeting was part of our ongoing efforts to work with Texarkana leaders as we continue to make our case to the BRAC Commission," said Sen. Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "Red River and Lone Star are key facilities for our national defense, and I'll continue pressing to make this process as transparent as possible so the local community can show that. We'll continue working together to push the BRAC Commission to take an independent look at the Pentagon's recommendations, so that they fully understand how Red River and Lone Star benefit our nation."
The congressional delegation underscored the strengths of Texarkana's invaluable military installations. They are the only producers of several key military resources. The Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant is the only producer of the M67 hand grenade. The Red River Army Depot is currently armoring vehicles to support our troops fighting in Iraq. Production at the base is extremely efficient and is on pace to finish at totals three times last year's output. Vice Chief of Staff of the Army General Cody toured the depot in January 2005 and told personnel there: "We are expecting a lot from you, you've come through, but now we expect even more- and the Army has to have it."
On June 3, Senators Hutchison and Cornyn sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld urging he fully and completely release data on how the department determined which bases were to be added to the BRAC list.
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