| 1 | The State Administration Council recommends the following: |
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| 3 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
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| 6 | House Memorial |
| 7 | A memorial to the Congress of the United States, urging |
| 8 | Congress to ensure that the aircraft carrier USS John F. |
| 9 | Kennedy remains in active service, that Naval Station |
| 10 | Mayport remains the home port for the USS John F. Kennedy, |
| 11 | and that the strength of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic carrier |
| 12 | fleet is maintained at its current level. |
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| 14 | WHEREAS, the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy remains a |
| 15 | vital component in our national defense and security, having |
| 16 | recently completed a 6-month combat tour in Southwest Asia, and |
| 17 | WHEREAS, the USS John F. Kennedy has an immensely |
| 18 | beneficial economic impact on the City of Jacksonville and the |
| 19 | entire surrounding area, amounting to approximately $200 million |
| 20 | in revenue annually, and |
| 21 | WHEREAS, the USS John F. Kennedy underwent an extended |
| 22 | pier-side overhaul in 2003 at a cost of over $350 million, which |
| 23 | was performed using local shipyards and technical support, and |
| 24 | WHEREAS, the current home station of the USS John F. |
| 25 | Kennedy, Naval Station Mayport, provides for the strategic |
| 26 | dispersal of the United States Navy's Atlantic carrier fleet and |
| 27 | speedy access to the open ocean in the event of an emergency and |
| 28 | is one of the most requested duty stations in the United States |
| 29 | Navy, and |
| 30 | WHEREAS, the State of Florida and City of Jacksonville are |
| 31 | currently underwriting a study to determine the infrastructure |
| 32 | improvements that would be needed in order to provide Naval |
| 33 | Station Mayport with the capability of serving as a home port |
| 34 | for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and |
| 35 | WHEREAS, it is reported that the Department of Defense has |
| 36 | determined that, in order to save funds in the immediate term, |
| 37 | it will recommend to the President the elimination of the USS |
| 38 | John F. Kennedy's scheduled shipyard overhaul which would extend |
| 39 | its serviceable life to 2018, and will recommend that the ship |
| 40 | be decommissioned in 2005, thus reducing the Navy's carrier |
| 41 | fleet to 11 ships and placing all Atlantic-based carriers at one |
| 42 | port, NOW, THEREFORE, |
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| 44 | Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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| 46 | That the Congress of the United States is urged to oppose |
| 47 | decommissioning the USS John F. Kennedy from active status, is |
| 48 | urged to allow Naval Station Mayport to remain the home port for |
| 49 | the USS John F. Kennedy until such time as Naval Station Mayport |
| 50 | has the capability to support and serve as the home port for a |
| 51 | nuclear aircraft carrier, and is urged to maintain the strength |
| 52 | of the United States Navy's Atlantic carrier fleet at its |
| 53 | current level. |
| 54 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be |
| 55 | dispatched to the President of the United States, to the |
| 56 | President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the |
| 57 | United States House of Representatives, to the Secretary of |
| 58 | Defense, to the Secretary of the Navy, and to each member of the |
| 59 | Florida delegation to the United States Congress. |