Senate Votes Against 2001 BRAC

[Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@cpeo.org>]

[This article appeared in the front section (page A8) of today's
Washington Post. --Aimee Houghton]

Washington Post
Friday, May 14, 1999

Senat Panel Votes Against New Round of Military Base Closings
By: Bradley Graham

	"A Senate panel rejected appeals by the Pentagon's civilian and
military leaders for more base closures, voting 11 to 9 yesterday to defeat
a proposal that would have authorized a new round of closings in 2001.

	"The action by the Senate Armed Services Committee marked the third
year that the Pentagon's bid for more shutdowns has failed.  It represents
a particular setback for Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, a former
Republican senator from Maine who had invested considerable effort in
attempting to persuade his onetime colleagues on Capitol Hill to shed
additional facilities in order to help finance new weapons.

	"But strong opposition to more closures from Majority Leader Trent
Lott (R-Miss.) appeared to doom the proposal.  Most of the committee's
Republicans--except for John McCain of Arizona and Rick Santorum of
Pennsylvania--voted against it in marking up the 2000 defense authorization
bill.  Joining the opposition were two Democrats--Max Cleland of Georgia
and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.

	"Because of sentiment against base closures is even stronger in the
House, Pentagon officials figured they stood their best chance of success
in the Senate.  Although the matter still may come up for floor debate, the
committee's action effectively squashes it for another year.

	"Cohen had hoped lawmakers wold agree to revive the independent
base closure commission that worked well during four rounds between 1988
and 1995, selecting nearly 100 large military facilities for elimination
and generally shielding the process from political interference.  He and
the military chiefs argued that the number of closures has not kept pace
with the reduction of U.S. military forces sonce the Cold War and that more
shutdowns are needed to fund a planned surge in procurement spending
following a decade-long slump in equipment purchases.

	"Pentagon officials have warned that continued congressional
refusal to close military bases would compel the military branches to drop
weapons programs or further reduce troop strength to compensate for
unrealized savings.  But lawmakers, naturally reluctant to accept the pain
of more closings in their districts, have questioned the Pentagon's savings
estimates.

	"In committee debate, some senators charged the Pentagon had
neglected to make an adequate assessment of future base needs, sources
said.  Others complained that repeated base closure rounds were taking a
toll on all communities with military facilities, compelling each to hire
teams of people to justify keeping a base.

	"Adding to the Pentagon's uphill struggle has been a large residue
of congressional resentment over President Clinton's attempt during the
last closure round in 1995 to enlist provate contractors to save jobs at
two Air Force maintenance centers in vote-rich California and Texas."

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Aimée R. Houghton, Associate Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight (CPEO)
425 Market Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA  94105
tel: 415-904-7750; FAX: 415-904-7765
Email: aimeeh@cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org
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