Senate Legislation Introduced to Delay BRAC Round
On May 18 Sen. John Thune (R-SD) introduced S. 1075, legislation to delay implementation of the Pentagon’s 2005 Base Closure and Realignment recommendations. The legislation would delay the process a series of criteria were met, including the Pentagon’s completion of the Quadrennial Defense Review and several other studies, an analysis of overseas facility requirements and until most U.S. troops return from Iraq.
In a statement, Sen. Thune said, “It doesn’t make sense to close bases now…we should not be undertaking massive BRAC realignments and closures while we are engaged in a war.”
The Pentagon has recommended Ellsworth Air Force Base in Sen. Thune’s home state for closure, which would result in the loss of 3,315 military and 438 civilian jobs. The base’s fleet of 24 B-1 bombers is slated for relocation to Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. All told South Dakota would lose 3,797 jobs under the Pentagon’s plan.
The bi-partisan list of senate cosponsors of the legislation include fellow South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson (Dem.), New Mexico Senators Jeff Bingaman (Dem.) and Pete Domenici (Rep.), Maine Senators Susan Collins (Rep.) and Olympia Snowe (Rep.), New Hampshire Senators Judd Gregg (Rep.) and John Sununu (Rep.) and Alaska Senators Ted Stevens (Rep.) and Lisa Murkowski (Rep). These Senators all represent states like South Dakota that would experience major job losses under the Pentagon’s proposal: New Mexico would lose 2,849 jobs [Cannon Air Force Base to close], Maine would lose 6,938 [Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to close, Brunswick Naval Air Station to realign], while Alaska would lose 4,619 jobs [realignment of Eielson Air Force Base]. New Hampshire would also be impacted by the closure of the Portsmouth Shipyard.
Also on May 18 the House Armed Services Committee defeated a similar provision offered by Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-NH) as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Authorization Act. The amendment was defeated on a show of hands by 10 to 47. Earlier the committee defeated another amendment offered by Rep. Bradley that would have canceled the current BRAC round on a roll call vote by 8 to 50.