Fort Bliss/BRAC

"Fort Bliss is vital to America's national security and the driving force of our local economy.  The successful expansion of Fort Bliss is key our economic growth."  -Congressman Silvestre Reyes   

Congressman Reyes is a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the primary committee responsible for the funding and oversight of the Department of Defense (DOD).  The committee plays a central role in determining funding levels for Fort Bliss. 

As an Army combat veteran, Congressman Reyes understands the sacrifices that the men and women of our Armed Forces endure when serving abroad.  In El Paso and in Washington, Reyes is known as a staunch advocate for our troops, their families, and our veterans.  In 2008, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) presented Reyes with the "Outstanding Legislator Award,” calling him a “great friend of the Army as an institution and supporter of soldiers and their families.”  In 2006, Reyes authored the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, a bill to protect the families of fallen soldiers from enduring malicious and hateful protests during burial ceremonies at national cemeteries.  Reyes' legislation was signed into law the same year.   

Since coming to Congress, Reyes has been instrumental in the expansion of Fort Bliss, a driving force of El Paso economic growth.  In 1995, prior to Reyes’ election to Congress, the Department of Defense directed that the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment be relocated from Fort Bliss to Fort Carson, Colorado, leaving the post without any heavy armored brigades and threatening the viability of a vital economic driver for El Paso.  Through his position on the Armed Services Committee, Reyes worked to prevent the Department of Defense from closing Fort Bliss as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) process.

As a result of the efforts by Reyes, and other community leaders who were united to save Fort Bliss from closure, the post received the top ranking in "military value" among all 97 Army installations in the United States.  Through the BRAC consolidation, Fort Bliss emerged with the largest net gain of active duty troops, and is expected to grow by 24,000 active duty personnel by 2013.  These additional troops at Fort Bliss will expand the post’s economic impact on the local economy from an annual $1.7 billion in 2005 to $6.4 billion annually beginning in 2013.

Reyes continues to push for funding to prepare Fort Bliss for the large influx of troops who will continue to arrive over the next several years.  In 2009, he successfully secured the authorization of nearly $1 billion in the 2010 Defense Authorization Bill to construct a new state-of-the-art William Beaumont Army Medical Center campus that will serve Fort Bliss troops, their dependents, and veterans.  He also secured an additional $800 million for critical construction projects in the 2010 budget.

Coming from a region which boasts three military facilities - Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range, and Holloman Air Force Base - Congressman Reyes knows how important these installations are to our national security and our regional economy. 

Accomplishments

• Secured the authorization of nearly $800 million for critical Fort Bliss projects in the 2010 Defense Authorization Bill, including $176 million to begin construction of the new William Beaumont Army Medical Center; (the 2009 spending bill added $52 million to the Army construction budget for the planning and design of the facility to jump start the project, allowing it to move ahead more quickly than originally planned)

• At Congressman Reyes’ request, the 2010 bill also included the full authorization of nearly $1 billion to allow for the complete construction of the medical center in the succeeding fiscal years.

• Successfully pushed for over $170 million in funding for Fort Bliss through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for high priority projects.

• Successfully pressed for the conversion of the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) to a Stryker BCT, resulting in an estimated 300 - 400 additional troops for the post. 

• The growth of Fort Bliss is expected to generate $6.5 billion annually by 2013, up from $1.5 billion in 2005.

• Secured the authorization of nearly $800 million for critical Fort Bliss projects in the 2010 Defense Authorization Bill, including $176 million to begin construction of the new William Beaumont Army Medical Center; (the 2009 spending bill added $52 million to the Army construction budget for the planning and design of the facility to jump start the project, allowing it to move ahead more quickly than originally planned)

• At Congressman Reyes’ request, the 2010 bill also included the full authorization of nearly $1 billion to allow for the complete construction of the medical center in the succeeding fiscal years.

• Successfully pushed for over $170 million in funding for Fort Bliss through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for high priority projects.
 
• The growth of Fort Bliss is expected to generate $6.5 billion annually by 2013, up from $1.5 billion in 2005.


Committee Assignments

Readiness Subcommittee
The Readiness Subcommittee is responsible for military readiness, training, logistics and maintenance issues and programs.  In addition, the Subcommittee is responsible for all military construction, installations and family housing issues, including the base closure process. Military construction is critical to ensuring the continued military value of a base.  Congressman Reyes serves on this Subcommittee (and its predecessor, the Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee) because these issues are critical to the continued operation and value of military posts.  Since his election, he has secured over $4 billion in construction projects to upgrade Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range.  Additionally, Reyes is a strong supporter of Impact Aid to provide financial support to school districts which serve the children of military members and the Army’s Residential Communities Initiative (RCI), an effort to eliminate inadequate housing on Army bases.

Air and Land Forces Subcommittee
Congressman Reyes serves as a member of the Air and Land Forces Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over the modernization of equipment used by our military's ground and aviation troops.  With a focus on the Army and Air Force programs, Congressman Reyes' service as a senior member of the Subcommittee allows him be involved in the decisions which affect the future of our national defense.  Specifically, the Subcommittee is responsible for funding key programs of importance to Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range, and Holloman Air Force Base include the Future Combat Systems (FCS), F-22 fighter aircraft, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and all Army aviation programs.