(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 comprehesive plan for military transformation.  The nine-member panel will vote this week 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 study of military installations.  They have considered adding at least 11 installations to the Pentagon’s list.  Lawmakers concerned about closures in home districts and states have had ample opportunity to meet with BRAC commissioners. 

Some claim that the Air Force’s proposal to restructure the Air National Guard could hurt recruitment and retention.  But National Guard Bureau chief Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum called it a modernizing step toward shedding excess infrastructure, vowing to accommodate affected 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) has concluded that DoD’s process was “generally logical, reasoned, and well documented,” and if approved, would “produce savings.”

“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,” Schatz continued.  “Lawmakers have had ample opportunity to make their concerns known; commissioners have all the information they need to propose a plan in the best interest of the country.”  

BRAC has narrowly survived multiple legislative attempts at sabotage.  The Senate must still consider an amendment (S. 1075) to the defense authorization bill proposed by Sen. John Thune (R–S.D.), whose state stands to lose Ellsworth Air Force Base, that would postpone base closures until most troops return from Iraq.  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.  The prime motivations of these efforts is to preserve the economic activity generated by local bases.”

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 to 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, as it is slated for closure. 

“The bottom line is whether the military will modernize to face new threats or will continue fighting Soviets ghost to placade special interests,” Schatz concluded.   

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.