Senator Hutchison -- Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2004
CONTACT: Kevin Schweers

SENATOR HUTCHISON APPLAUDS PLAN TO RELOCATE U.S. TROOPS IN EUROPE, KOREA
Senator Long Advocated Overhaul, Enacted Legislation Calling for the Review

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) welcomed today's announcement by President Bush that the Pentagon will close hundreds of facilities overseas and reallocate up to 70,000 uniformed personnel and nearly 100,000 families and civilian employees, with many returning to the United States.

As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, she encouraged the Pentagon to make these changes, enacting a provision requiring a DoD report on specific long-range stationing plans for U.S. bases overseas. The Senator has held repeated congressional hearings to further prompt DoD officials to overhaul the U.S. alignment overseas and she limited military construction funding for overseas facilities to those with a clear certain future use. Last year, millions were cut from overseas base construction and instead used to shore up domestic bases and upgrade guard facilities in the United States.

"This vital reform will greatly enhance our national security," said Sen. Hutchison, who has visited numerous overseas facilities and observed training constraints firsthand. "I commend President Bush for making the right call. Now more than ever, we must reform America's overseas basing structure to better address current security needs."

Last year, she and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) created an Overseas Basing Commission (OBC) to ensure bases overseas have the same scrutiny that those in Texas will face in the upcoming 2005 base realignment and closure (BRAC). At its first hearing last month the committee heard that if the Pentagon returns 29,000 soldiers from Germany - approximately two divisions - we would save $400-$575 million annually and give our troops far better training capabilities and opportunities. The panel is currently surveying facilities abroad and a report is expected later this year.