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                         May 3, 2002

Subcommittee rejects plea to prevent base closings

WASHINGTON (govexec.com) -- A House Armed Services subcommittee voted April 25 to spend $10 billion on military construction projects next year, but rejected a plea to prevent a round of base closings scheduled for 2005.

The Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee approved its portion of the fiscal 2003 defense authorization bill by voice vote.

"Despite what many are thinking, this is not an exercise in unneeded spending," said Subcommittee Chairman Jim Saxton. "Every project before the subcommittee today was validated as a military necessity by the Pentagon."

The legislation also includes a provision to tighten language pertaining to base closures in the fiscal 2002 defense authorization law. That law authorized a new round of base realignments and closures in 2005, despite opposition from most House members.

Saxton said the BRAC provision in this year’s bill would serve as a "placeholder" enabling House conferees to raise the issue of base closures again this year when they meet with their Senate counterparts.

But Rep. Gene Taylor, argued that the subcommittee should do more to protect the nation’s military bases, and offered an amendment that would stop the 2005 base closures by repealing the BRAC provision from last year’s law.

Taylor argued that "there is absolutely no logical reason for closing bases right now," particularly in light of the Sept. 11 attacks and the war on terrorism, which is expected to last years. "How do you grow your force and shrink your number of bases at the same time?" Taylor said.

Pentagon officials maintain that the base closures are an economic necessity, and a crucial component of DoD’s ongoing efforts to transform its military and administrative capabilities in a manner that reflects the global transition from the industrial age to the information age.

Although most members opposed the 2005 base closure plan, they also opposed Taylor’s amendment, explaining that even if the full House voted to keep all bases open in 2005, the closures would still occur because the Senate and the White House are unwilling to compromise.

"At the end of the day, we’re not going to win, and even if we do win, the president is going to veto it," said Rep. Roscoe Bartlett.

Some members also warned that Taylor’s amendment could unintentionally make things worse for military bases and the surrounding communities. "If we open up this can of worms again, we’re going to have a worse BRAC law," said Rep. John Hostettler. Taylor’s amendment then failed by a 3-13 vote.

Most of the new construction projects approved by the subcommittee would be geared toward force protection, Saxton said. But the legislation also authorizes $18.4 million for construction related to the new Northern Command, which would coordinate DoD’s various homeland security missions and is scheduled to begin operating in October.