Washington, D.C. – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today urged the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) and Congress to endorse a comprehensive plan for military transformation.  The nine-member BRAC panel will begin voting tomorrow on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) recommendations to close or restructure 67 major U.S. bases, saving an estimated $48.8 billion over 20 years.  President Bush is expected to approve the BRAC Commission’s final report, which will then be forwarded to Congress for an up-or-down vote.

Past commissions have endorsed about 85 percent of the Pentagon’s recommendations.  In the past four months, commissioners have flown from coast to coast for private meetings, public hearings, and in-depth studies of military installations.  They have considered adding at least 11 installations to the Pentagon’s list.

Objections to the Pentagon’s recommendations include concerns that restructuring the Air National Guard could hurt recruitment and retention.  But National Guard Bureau chief Lt. Gen. Steven Blum called it a modernizing step toward shedding excess infrastructure, vowing to accommodate service people and pointing out that “frankly, some of the jobs they are doing now are not what we need the Air Force to be doing in the future.”  The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the DoD’s process to be “generally logical, reasoned, and well documented,” and if approved, would “produce savings.”  The BRAC commission has questioned the Pentagon’s savings estimates, but not its overall effort.

“People may quibble with this or that element of the Pentagon’s plan, but the fact remains that BRAC has a proven track record of achieving significant savings for taxpayers,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.

BRAC has narrowly survived multiple legislative attempts at sabotage.  The Senate must still consider S. 1075, an amendment to the defense authorization bill proposed by Sen. John Thune (R–S.D.), that would postpone base closures until most troops return from Iraq.  His state stands to lose Ellsworth Air Force Base.  Service leaders have repeatedly stressed that BRAC not only makes economic sense but military and operations sense as well, calling the timing “perfect” as it gives planners the opportunity to determine the best locations to reset units coming back from overseas.

“Lawmakers who would undercut the entire process just to salvage a few votes are putting parochial interests ahead of national security,” Schatz continued.  “The prime purpose of these efforts is to preserve jobs for constituents.”

Despite the dire prognostications by opponents, a May 2005 GAO report showed that towns affected by base closings continue to recover and fare well compared to average rates for unemployment and income growth.  BRAC success stories can serve as models for towns facing a difficult period of adjustment.  Austin converted the Bergstrom Air Force Base into the Bergstrom-Austin International Airport, contributing $1.8 billion annually to the city’s economy.  Officials in Georgia have floated the idea of relocating Zoo Atlanta to Fort McPherson if it gets slated for closure. 

“The BRAC Commission has all the information necessary to submit a plan in the best interest of the country.  Members of Congress must ensure that DoD has the flexibility to restructure in a changing security environment,” Schatz added.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.