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Action Alert

November 7, 2013

  
   

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MEASURE TO KEEP THE LAJES AIR FORCE BASE IN THE AZORES  

WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SENATE BILL.

 

CALL YOUR SENATOR TODAY TO KEEP THE LAJES AIR BASE OPEN AND AT CAPACITY!

 

Vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 14 can be voted on as early as next week November 12th through Thanksgiving.

 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated that he expects action on the annual defense authorization bill before Thanksgiving.  "We're going to take up the defense authorization bill, which supports our troops and ensures this nation does everything in our power to keep America safe from those who would do us harm."



BACKGROUND AND UPDATE



The United States House of Representatives passed unanimously on Tuesday July 23rd an amendment to the defense appropriations bill that prohibits the Air Force from reducing the force structure at Lajes Field in Fiscal Year 2014.  The sponsors of the amendment were Congressional Portuguese American Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Jim Costa, David Valadao, and David Cicilline, along with caucus members Devin Nunes, James Langevin, and William Keating.This coalition of House members, made up of the Congressional Portuguese American Caucus Co-Chairs and Members, were key advocates in getting the support of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Armed Services and passing on June 14th HR1960: The National Defense Authorization Act for FY14 which included a limitation regarding Lajes Field.   

 

Although the provision to keep the Lajes Base open was included in the House of Representatives Bill, it not in the Senate's NDAA Bill.  The only way to guarantee that this provision is inserted into the final NDAA bill is to have a companion provision inserted by the Senate during their floor deliberations which are scheduled in the next two weeks.    

 


WHAT CAN YOU DO?


The Portuguese American Community Needs at Least One Champion Senator

Call Your Senator Today!

 

We need to find a senator that will sponsor this provision as an amendment to The National Defense Authorization Act for FY14 on the floor of the Senate.  This will require some work on our community's behalf.

 

Over the next days, NOPA will actively advocate this issue with elected officials who represent the Portuguese American communities across the United States and will employ the services of its social enterprise program Lusitania Consulting to lobby key Senators.

 

We cannot be successful without your help!

 

Call Today!
Follow The Links Below To
Locate Your Members Of Congress

U.S. Senate Contact Information:

 

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm 

 

 

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TODAY AND  

TELL THEM HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THE  

US AND PORTUGUESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY FOR  

THE AIR FORCE TO CEASE ITS FORCE STRUCTURE REDUCTION. 

  


Talking Points

 

  •  Lajes Field is a valuable asset that enables the expeditionary movement of US military assets and global communications to AFRICOM and CENTCOM's joint, coalition, and NATO operations.
  • Lajes is a crucial site for countering the biggest regional threat, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which has known ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Boko Haram, and al-Shabab.
  • Terrorist hot-spots can all be reached from Lajes Field in less than 8 hours' flight time and with few if any over-flight concerns.
  • From Lajes' strategic location, all 16 of the African countries that hold State Department Travel Warnings can be reached within 6 hours.
  • There are few other military bases in EUCOM or AFRICOM that can match Lajes' unique capabilities.
  • Unlike some of our other European allies, Portugal has never denied us the ability to conduct operational missions.
  • It would cost billions to build a base like Lajes today, and if our strategic planners insist on giving up something this vital, then at the very least, the US should encourage the creation of a pilot program to privatize its operations, to keep them running round-the-clock, and to guarantee 24/7 access to the site.
  • Should a drawdown of the active duty contingent be the only choice, please do not make Azoreans choose between their loyalty to the United States and feeding families, essentially forcing Portugal to find a new tenant for the site.
  • Please prohibit the reduction in force structure at Lajes Field at least until the European Infrastructure Consolidation Assessment is completed and allow time to explore other options to maintain a strong US ally.

 

LETTER TEMPLATE:

(Contribution by Casa dos A�ores na Nova Inglaterra)
 

Dear Senator,

As you know many of the members of the Portuguese community in the US are of Azorean descent. For centuries the Azores have been an anchor of the bilateral relation between Portugal and the United States, hosting the US in Lajes Air Base to promote and advance our common values in the World.      

 

That presence has also changed the economy of the island creating jobs and prosperity for a large segment of the population, with a significant number of Azoreans directly and indirectly dependent on the mission and activity of the 65th Air Base Wing. Lajes remains today the second largest employer of the island with around 800 direct jobs and another 600 indirect and it hosts today more than 1400 American military and civilians.     

 

Now the Department of Defense as decided to downsize significantly its military and civilian presence in Terceira. As an Azorean and a member of the Portuguese community in the US that decision is a matter of great concern to me, since it is foreseen it will increase dramatically the unemployment in the island and will also lead to economic disruption in the community.   

 

I am thus writing to you, as member of Congress, to ask that the US authorities promote all the necessary measure to avoid such a disruptive economic impact in the Azores, honoring its contribution for over 6 decades to the Portugal-US bilateral relation as well as the contribution of the Portuguese community in this country.   

Sincerely,

 

Your Name

 

About NOPA


NOPA is a national non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt organization created to address the many growing needs of the Portuguese-American community living in the United States.

Headquartered in the Greater Washington DC Region, NOPA conducts applied research, policy analysis, advocacy, and providing a Portuguese-American perspective in critical policy areas. NOPA provides Portuguese language education and culture promotion as well as capacity-building assistance to its affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families.

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PO Box 2652
Falls Church, VA 22042

 

Phone: 703-389-3512

Website: www.nopa-us.org 

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