Congressman Thomas M. Reynolds - Produly serving New York's 26th District

Reynolds to Rumsfeld: Back Off
Congressman presses Defense Secretary on BRAC comments

In a letter to Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Representative Thomas M. Reynolds, R-Clarence, today called on the Defense Secretary to withdraw his reported opposition to base closure recommendations approved by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission.

According to published reports, Rumsfeld has said he has not decided whether to recommend to President Bush that he approve the list, and that he found some of the commission's recommendations "difficult to understand."

"I can sympathize with those feelings," Reynolds wrote, "since the Pentagon's recommendation to close (the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station) facility was difficult to understand, given its high military value, and importance to our national defense and homeland security."

Reynolds, who has repeatedly accused the Air Force of "shady accounting," noted it was the Pentagon that strayed from criteria required to close facilities such as Niagara.

"Since the Pentagon announced its recommendations, we built an airtight case that the Pentagon in general and the Air Force in particular deviated substantially from its own criteria," Reynolds said.  "Indeed, as I testified at the BRAC Commission hearing in Amherst, NY, on June 27, 2005, Major General Heckman, who co-chaired the Air Force BRAC process, stated that the only reason Niagara was recommended for closure was because of the need to 'correct the imbalance of the C-130 fleet between the Active and Reserve Component'."

Reynolds said such actions as moving aircraft are programmatic in nature, and not part of the intended BRAC process.

"Further, a major reason for the BRAC process is to ensure the best use of resources for our nation's military," Reynolds wrote.  "Once again, the Air Force failed to prove its case."

During Reynolds' testimony before the BRAC Commission, he challenged the Air Force cost estimates, and charged that it would be more expensive to close the base than keep it open.

"While the Air Force COBRA data erroneously showed a two year pay-back and a $199 million Net Present Value savings, corrected COBRA data we provided, and which was validated by BRAC analysts, demonstrated that there were no savings generated by closing Niagara," Reynolds said.

"The BRAC Commission was established as an independent body to review and validate or reject Pentagon assumptions," he continued.  "We proved that the Pentagon did not meet established criteria in recommending Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station for closure, and I strongly urge you to accept the recommendations of this independent commission."