89R25546 TBO-D     By: Paul H.C.R. No. 141       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, Since its founding in 1958, the National Aeronautics   and Space Administration has been a leader in space exploration,   and the city of Houston has played an instrumental role in advancing   the agency's mission; and          WHEREAS, Nicknamed "Space City," Houston has long been at the   forefront of human spaceflight development; the city famously   served as the site for NASA's mission control during the first moon   landing in 1969, and some of the first words spoken on the surface   of the moon called out to Houston; in addition, the Lyndon B.   Johnson Space Center is located in Houston, and with more than   12,000 employees, the facility encompasses a large portion of the   NASA workforce; the city is also home to the Mission Control Center,   NASA Astronaut Corps, Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility, commercial   space agreements, and extensive research and development   partnerships; and          WHEREAS, Despite having historic ties to Houston, NASA   established its headquarters in Washington, D.C., an area that is   disconnected from most of the agency's centers and facilities; that   decision has separated NASA's leadership from the agency's   workforce and day-to-day activities; in 2028, at the end of the   lease for its current headquarters, NASA will have the opportunity   to move its leadership to a new site, and Houston would be a fitting   location for the facility; situated at the center of NASA's   operations, the city has a cost of living that is less than half   that of the Washington, D.C., area, and it provides access to three   universities with R1 designations as well as two major commercial   airports; and          WHEREAS, Houston also offers tremendous benefits from its   connection to Texas, which boasts the eighth-largest economy in the   world, with low government regulation and a strong business   environment; more than 2,000 aerospace, aviation, and   defense-related companies have established locations in the state,   including SpaceX in Starbase, Blue Origin in West Texas, Firefly   Aerospace in Cedar Park, and Axiom Space in Houston; moreover, the   State of Texas recently created the Texas Space Commission to   promote innovation in space operations and commercial aerospace and   to attract commercial space ventures to the state; and          WHEREAS, No city is more closely linked to America's space   program than "Space City," and NASA's headquarters should be   located at a place where the agency's leadership can directly   engage with its most critical missions; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to move   NASA's headquarters to Houston; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official   copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to   the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of   Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the   members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that   this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a   memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.