Higgins Pledges Continued Support to Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station

On the same day that he met with the Niagara Military Affairs Council in his Washington, D.C. office, Congressman Brian Higgins spoke from the House Floor to issue his continued support for preserving the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station’s place in Western New York. 

Higgins cited the upcoming construction of a new C-130 flight simulator and the proposed construction of a new Customs & Border Protection border patrol station among innovative strategies to invest in the base and expand its mission for long-term sustainability. 

(To access video click above or go to: http://youtu.be/W5EPb9WwtXw)

The text of Higgins’ remarks is below:

Mr. Speaker, Today I will meet with the Niagara Military Affairs Council here in Washington, D.C. to discuss the future of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is critical not only to Western New York but to our nation’s security. The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station employs over 3,500 people and has an annual economic impact of more than $200 million. 

Next month the Station will start construction on a new C-130 flight simulator, which I was proud to fight for with the Western New York delegation. 

Additionally, Customs and Border Protection has chosen the base as the preferred location for construction of a new border patrol station. 

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to fight to make sure that the mission at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is preserved and that it is allowed to diversify through innovative partnerships. 

Continued investment in the base and expansion of the mission ensure that that Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station will remain a fixture in our community for many years to come.