[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 121 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6938-H6939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SOUTHERN NEVADA READINESS CENTER ACT

  Mr. RENZI. 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.

[[Page H6939]]

  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4382

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Southern Nevada Readiness 
     Center Act''.

     SEC. 2. NEVADA NATIONAL GUARD LAND CONVEYANCE, CLARK COUNTY, 
                   NEVADA.

       Notwithstanding any other provision of law, Clark County, 
     Nevada, may convey, without consideration, to the Nevada 
     Division of State Lands for use by the Nevada National Guard 
     between 35 and 50 acres of land in Clark County, Nevada, as 
     generally depicted on the map entitled ``Southern Nevada 
     Readiness Center Act'' and dated October 4, 2005.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Renzi) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
  Mr. RENZI. 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.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. BORDALLO. 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. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
author of the bill, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter).
  Mr. PORTER. 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.
  Ms. BORDALLO. 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.
  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers; and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4382.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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