FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2005
CONTACT: Chris Paulitz
SENATORS HUTCHISON, CORNYN VISIT WICHITA FALLS
Vow to work to mitigate Sheppard Air Force Base
WASHINGTON, DC -- Texas Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn vowed to work to eliminate force reductions scheduled for Sheppard Air Force Base when they came to Wichita Falls today and met with local officials. Sheppard AFB was slated for major reductions Friday on the Department of Defense's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list.
"It makes no sense to move the initial joint strike fighter training site to Florida," said Sen. Hutchison, Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee. "The joint strike fighter is made in Fort Worth. We should not allow instructor pilots and maintenance specialists - critical to the mission - to leave Texas."
"This visit is part of our effort to plot our strategy going forward. We intend to take our case directly to the BRAC Commission members and convince them that many of the Department of Defense's recommendations are bad for our national defense and homeland security," said Sen. Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We will continue working with local Texas leaders and push the BRAC Commission to take an independent look at the Pentagon's recommendations, considering additional information that may help us reverse negative decisions while keeping the positive ones."
The Sheppard Air Force Base is home to a large contingent of personnel, including instructor pilots and maintenance specialists. The Senators expressed their determination to get answers from the BRAC commission as to where and why the personnel is being uprooted from the Wichita Falls community. Not only should these questions be answered, the BRAC Commission must make a legitimate case for relocation after it reviews the plan and visits the proud military community.
On May 11, Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and many members of the Texas Congressional delegation, met with the 2005 Base BRAC Commission Chairman Anthony Principi. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce Chairman Principi to the members of the delegation and to highlight the significant military value of Texas bases. In that meeting, Chairman Principi agreed to send at least one BRAC commissioner to each affected base, and to work with Senators Hutchison and Cornyn on the appeals process.
Key Future Dates for BRAC Process:
- Sept. 23: Deadline for a presidential decision on whether to accept or reject the BRAC recommendations in their entirety - the White House's only options. If Bush accepts the plan, it becomes final within 45 legislative days, unless Congress passes a joint resolution to block the entire package.
- Oct. 20: If Bush rejects the BRAC recommendations, the commission has until this date to submit a revised list of proposed closures.
- Nov. 7: Deadline for the president to approve or disapprove the revised recommendations.
- April 15, 2006: The commission terminates.
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