 |
 |
 |
|
ask.heather@mail.house.gov
|
In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax |
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
 |
| BRAC and the Pentagon |
July 25, 2001 |
| |
| Dear Friends,
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld came up to Capitol Hill to talk with members of the House Policy Committee last Thursday morning. I chair our subcommittee on national security and foreign affairs and I took the opportunity to ask him about Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Kirtland was put on the proposed closure list back in 1995 and it took an extraordinary community effort to show that was a mistake and get Kirtland off the list.
The Secretary has said in testimony in front of the Armed Services Committee, on which I serve, that they have too much real estate for the size of our forces. But it`s all been general statements with no specifics. I wanted to learn more about their analysis and plans. The Secretary sent two of his key staff up to see me Thursday night.
I spent about an hour with them, mostly asking questions and listening.
The Pentagon does not have the data to show whether and how much we benefited from the last round of base closures. It seems reasonable to ask whether they saved money last time before we authorize another round. They apparantly don`t have the financial systems and databases in place to really show results from the last round. Maybe they don`t, but it makes it tough to justify further action without data.
They want the main driver of the BRAC to be strategic alignment of warfighting needs, not just cost savings. I`m glad strategy is playing a role, but the Pentagon`s "Top-to-bottom" strategic review dissipated into a broader quadrennial defense review that will not be sent to Congress until the end of September and won`t start to be implemented until the budget the President presents next January for the year that begins October 1, 2002. It`s hard to align infrastructure with strategy if the strategy isn`t finished.
They want the Secretary of Defense to have greater authority and "drive the process" from the Secretary`s office, not from the services. By their initial description, the Commission will have curtailed authority too. Under this process, the Congress would cede unprededented authority to the Pentagon. That would require a level of trust that hasn`t been built yet.
I asked about how they planned to treat bases -- like Kirtland -- where there is a large non-DOD presence. They hadn`t thought about it but appreciated the input.
Then I asked about timing. They want BRAC authority in this year`s defense authorization bill.
"Time out," I said. "You mean the one we are about to mark up in committee in the next few weeks?"
That`s right.
This just seemed completely unrealistic. They do not have a legislative proposal to the Hill yet, let alone have it explained to members. There is no data from the last round or strong analysis justifying another one. They haven`t finished the strategic review which should drive force structure and basing needs. They have only just begun the process of consultation with members of the House. And the White House is focussed on education, energy and a patients bill of rights, not base closure.
On Friday, wanting to check my instincts with others, I talked with our two Senators and several of our leaders on the House Armed Services Committee.
Was I missing something?
They confirmed my impression. The Pentagon has not laid the groundwork to get people to vote for this in the Defense Authorization bill, and they may have waited so late that they won`t be able to get it done before the first session of this Congress ends.
As a community, we need to be alert. Sometimes sands shift quickly, and, believe me, this is on my "watch" list. But my sense is that the Pentagon does not have its ducks lined up to get BRAC set up and started this year. They certainly want it, but they haven`t earned my vote or the votes of many others.
Wish you were here,
Heather |
|
|
|
|
|