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[DOCID: f:hc200ih.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 200

Expressing the sense of Congress in opposition to the retirement of 33 
           B-1 Lancer aircraft as proposed by the Air Force.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2001

  Mr. Tiahrt (for himself and Mr. Chambliss) submitted the following 
  concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress in opposition to the retirement of 33 
           B-1 Lancer aircraft as proposed by the Air Force.

Whereas the United States Air Force has proposed retiring 33 of a total of 93 B-
        1 Lancer bomber aircraft and consolidating operations of the remaining 
        60 B-1 aircraft from five bases to two as part of the Air Force Program 
        Budget Decision (PBD) 824;
Whereas the 33 B-1 Lancer aircraft proposed to be retired include all of the B-1 
        aircraft that are assigned to units of the Air National Guard;
Whereas the Air National Guard has been an integral part of the ``total force'' 
        structure of the Air Force, but this consolidation would in effect 
        eliminate the Air National Guard as a participant in the ``total force'' 
        concept;
Whereas the Air National Guard has a proud history of flying combat missions in 
        support of United States national interests;
Whereas the Department of Defense did not consult with Congress before making 
        the B-1 retirement and consolidation decision in PBD 824;
Whereas the Air Force did not consult with the Air National Guard before making 
        that decision;
Whereas the Air Force initiated a paper clearly stating certain political 
        effects of that decision, thus calling into question the strategic value 
        of the decision;
Whereas the Air Force has not produced a follow-on mission for the Air National 
        Guard units and members who will be affected by the decision, although 
        thousands of Air National Guard members with years of experience 
        operating the B-1 combat system will have to be retrained for other 
        missions and many of those personnel will simply lose their jobs;
Whereas all of the pilots from Air National Guard bases flying B-1 aircraft will 
        be out of work at a time when the Air Force is experiencing a shortage 
        of pilots;
Whereas, while it is the case that the B-1 aircraft must be modernized in order 
        to be an effective fighting force in the future, the Air Force program 
        budget decision was made without any strategic planning or in the 
        context of a larger force structure review; and
Whereas Congress needs time to review and determine what the proper number of B-
        1 aircraft is: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress does not support the proposed retirement of 33 of a total 
of 93 B-1 Lancer aircraft and consolidation of the operations of the 
remaining 60 B-1 Lancer aircraft from five bases to two as part of the 
Air Force Program Budget Decision (PBD) 824, and that proposed 
retirement and consolidation should be deferred during fiscal year 2002 
while Congress review the proposed retirement and consolidation.
    Sec. 2. It is the sense of Congress that all procurement and 
research and development funds for the B-1 aircraft program in the 
President's fiscal year 2002 budget for the Department of Defense 
should be reallocated to the Operations and Maintenance account for the 
Air National Guard, to be available for continued operations of the 33 
B-1 bomber aircraft proposed to be retired in Air Force Program Budget 
Decision 824.
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