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| Wilson Votes for BRAC Delay |
May 26, 2005 |
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Longtime BRAC Foe Supports Careful Assessment
Washington, DC –Congresswoman Heather Wilson voted late Wednesday to delay the Pentagon’s Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) round and argued in support of the amendment on the floor but the amendment was defeated 316-112.
“I’ve opposed BRAC from the beginning. We are at war, we’re increasing the Army and Marines by a combined 39,000 over the next three years, and we’re bringing some 70,000 troops back from European bases. If BRAC had gone forward as initially planned a few years ago, we might be trying to open new bases right now. Now is not the time to eliminate infrastructure,” Wilson said.
Wilson is an opponent of BRAC, and on May 20, cosponsored a House bill identical to the amendment to delay BRAC. The Department of Defense has recommended the closing of Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. The New Mexico delegation is working together to convince BRAC commissioners that Cannon Base should not be closed.
The amendment to the FY 06 National Defense Authorization Act voted on today would have stopped base closings until at least 2006 for further assessment. It would have held off major base closings until major combat units begin coming home from Iraq.
The amendment would have blocked BRAC closings until completions of studies that are already scheduled, including the Pentagon’s quadrennial defense review, a review of overseas military structure, completion of the National Maritime Security Strategy and completion of the Homeland Defense and Civil Support Directive.
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