[CPEO-MEF] Vieques Amendments in SASC Bill Dropped

[Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@cpeo.org>]

CPEO has just learned that the Vieques amendment that Senator Inhofe was 
intending to introduce has been dropped.

Inhofe's amendment, if it had passed, would have done the following:

1.  Cancel the November 6th referendum.
2.  Require the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine 
Corps to certify that Vieques is not needed for training before any cease 
fire could take place.
3.  If the Navy were to leave, allow the Navy to resume training--with live 
fire--in the case of a national emergency or declared war.

As it now stands the Senate Defense Authorization bill contains no language 
on Vieques essentially letting stand the statutory language passed last 
year.  That language calls for the binding referendum; if the people of 
Vieques vote to have the Navy leave they (the Navy) are required to do so 
no later than May 1, 2003, and turning over a major portion of the eastern 
end to the Department of the Interior.

The House Defense Authorization bill, which passed last night, does contain 
language on Vieques very similar to the amendment Inhofe proposed and then 
dropped.

This issue will now go to conference committee to be resolved.  As soon as 
the Senate passes their Defense Authorization bill (and Congress is 
scheduled to adjourn today at 2 PM) both bills will go to committee.

Aimee



Please note new phone number and address below.
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Aimee R. Houghton
Associate Director, CPEO
1101 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC  20036
tel: 202-452-8039; fax: 202-452-8095
Email: aimeeh@cpeo.org
www.cpeo.org
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