Bud Shuster: “I thank the gentleman from Iowa. And the gentleman from Texas, who's not here on the floor, I'd like to talk a little…”

“I thank the gentleman from Iowa. And the gentleman from Texas, who's not here on the floor, I'd like to talk a little bit about his situation down at the Corpus Christi Army Depot, which is an industry leader of repair and overhaul for our aviation helicopters, employing over 6,000 civilians, of which 56 percent are veterans. Without CCAD, the Army would be unable to sustain maximum combat power for the warfighter. Further, the depot in Corpus Christi's stewardship of taxpayer dollars is evident in the cost effective repair and overhaul of rotary wing aircraft systems. For example, in fiscal year 2011, a record production year, more than $47 million in cost savings was documented at the CCAD. With today's rotary wing aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems flying in record numbers, the work at Corpus Christi Army Depot has become invaluable to the aircraft to remain airworthy. I am concerned that any lapse in production of the UH-60 Black Hawk Recap, CCAD's larger single program, would have a negative impact on supporting components programs and major OEM contracts and employers. I know that the gentleman from Texas looks forward to working work with the chairman--as do I and other Members of the House that represent depots and arsenals--and the House Appropriations Committee as this bill moves forward to conference.”