Dear Friend,

This week I proudly stood with Governor Rick Perry and the brave men and women of 136th Airlift Wing of the Texas Air National Guard.  We came together to deliver a message to the Air Force, to Texans, and to the millions of Americans who depend on the C-130 aircraft to respond to natural disaster emergencies:  Our C-130s will not be moved out of Texas without a fight. 

In February, I told you about the Texas delegation’s letter to the Air Force Secretary asking for justifications as to why they were planning to move these planes out of Fort Worth to Montana.  Nearly two months have passed, and we still have not received a response. Senators Cornyn and Hutchison and I even sat down with Air Force Secretary Donley to try to understand the reasons for the move.

At that meeting the Air Force still could not provide a cost-benefit analysis, they could not refute the estimated $75 - $100 million cost of the move, and they still could not explain how they would fill this hole in our natural disaster preparedness operations. 

Since I last updated you, our list of supporters has grown.  The National Council of Governors, the National Guard Adjutants from every state, and Members of Congress from neighboring Gulf Coast states have joined the Texas Congressional delegation to stand together against the proposal to move the C-130s to Montana. 

If the Air Force does not withdraw their proposal soon we will solve this problem legislatively.  For the time being, there is not a hearing or a meeting that the Air Force walks into where they are not asked to justify their C-130 strategy.

I want you to know that Texans are all fighting this together on all fronts.  As we have shown in the past, when we come together we win together. 

Sincerely,

Kay Granger
Member of Congress