BASE CLOSURE SETBACK

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@igc.org>]

BASE CLOSURE SETBACK

Thursday the Senate Armed Services Committee rejected, by a 9-9 vote, 
an Administration-backed plan to establish a new Base Realignment and 
Closure Commission for new rounds of closures in 1999 and 2002. The 
proposal may still be amended into the Defense Authorization bill on 
the Senate floor, but the Los Angeles Times reports that the unexpected 
vote "probably [ends] chances that any such initiative will make it out 
of Congress this year." The Times attributes opposition to the 
Commission to resentment at the Clinton Administration's decision, in 
1995, to "privatize in place" the closing Air Materiel Centers at 
McClellan Air Force Base (Sacramento) and Kelly Air Force Base (San Antonio).

I think the Times report on the proposal's demise is premature, and I 
expect Congress to approve of such a commission when the Pentagon 
starts to cut bases or programs to save money that would have been 
saved through closure. It just depends upon when the Administration 
decides to apply the pressure. Congress could authorize the Commission 
in 1998 and still meet the 1999 timetable.

Lenny Siegel