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| Wilson Authors House Bill Amending BRAC Criteria |
April 28, 2004 |
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Wilson Bill Adds Priorities Including Research, Development & Testing
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Heather Wilson today introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives adding important priorities to the Defense Department’s criteria for Base Closure and Realignment.
Wilson said that the stated goal of the Defense Department – a modernized force – does not line up with omissions in the BRAC criteria.
“Research, development and testing are too important to be overlooked,” Wilson said. “The criteria talks about current operations and training but completely ignores the need to have research, development and testing facilities for the next generation of weapons systems.”
The bill would add the following criteria:
Recognizing research development and testing as part of military value
Identifying range testing facilities as part of military value
Make cost savings calculations for the federal budget, not just the DoD budget
Include the surge requirement as enacted by law
Wilson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has opposed BRAC on every vote, but Congress approved the 2005 round in 2001. Wilson voted against the defense authorization legislation in 2001 because it included BRAC language.
“From the beginning, I have opposed BRAC,” Wilson said. “But our commitment now must be to preserve facilities critical to our national security and important to New Mexico.” |
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