House Bill hb9119

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HR 9119

        By Representative Lacasa






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution recognizing the positive influence

  3         of permanently locating the United States

  4         Southern Command in Miami-Dade County.

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  6         WHEREAS, the United States Southern Command (Southcom)

  7  is responsible for all United States military interaction in

  8  Central and South America and the Caribbean, and

  9         WHEREAS, the Southcom headquarters relocated to Miami

10  from the Republic of Panama because of Miami's unique ability

11  to support and complement the mission requirements of the

12  command, and

13         WHEREAS, the economic, political, cultural, and social

14  impact of the Southern Hemisphere on the United States and

15  this state is critically important and will only continue to

16  grow, and

17         WHEREAS, this state is fully involved in trade and

18  cultural relations with the Southern Hemisphere, and has the

19  complementary resources available in the Miami area to work

20  with that region, and

21         WHEREAS, for the same reasons that the permanent

22  Secretariat of the Free Trade Areas of the Americas should be

23  located in Miami, as espoused by Congress in its joint

24  concurrent resolutions dated November 19, 1999, and April 11,

25  2001, Miami and this state are uniquely situated

26  geographically and possess the infrastructure, resources, and

27  culture necessary for the success of both organizations, and

28         WHEREAS, the Southcom headquarters building and land is

29  currently operated through a limited term lease, and any

30  action to extend the Southcom headquarters beyond the terms of

31  the current lease requires Congressional approval, and

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HR 9119

    574-194A-02






  1         WHEREAS, this state has provided the Federal Government

  2  with a no-cost, 50-year lease of land abutting the Southcom

  3  headquarters, satisfying long-term security requirements and

  4  enhancing its current limited term lease, and

  5         WHEREAS, any delay in resolving the long-term presence

  6  of Southcom headquarters fails to signal the commitment of the

  7  United States and this state to our partner nations in the

  8  region, NOW, THEREFORE,

  9

10  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

11  Florida:

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13         That the House of Representatives recognizes and

14  appreciates the positive influence, at present and in the

15  future, of Southcom's presence at its current location in

16  Miami-Dade County towards the furthering of this nation's

17  relationship with its Latin American neighbors, the fostering

18  of international trade opportunities, and the strengthening of

19  the defense of our southern borders.

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