The most recent notable development has been the December28, 2001 signing into law ( P.L. All action on the 451 installations scheduled to be closed and realigned by the 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995 BRAC commissions was completed by the end of FY2001, as scheduled. (2) Ninety-seven installations were major military bases. According to the most recent estimates, theseBRAC closures and realignments have produced net savings of about $16.7 billion, and annualrecurring savings thereafter of about $6.6 billion. Despite the lack of broad support on Capitol Hill, senior DOD officials, as well as the President, continued to press for new rounds of base closures in the near future. In hisendorsement of the panel's findings, Secretary of Defense Cohen emphasized, as he had in the past,the importance of two additional BRAC rounds as a means of financing and accelerating thetransformation of U.S. military capabilities. The 1995 base closure commission had recommended theclosing of two of the Air Force's five major maintenance depots: at McClellan Air Force Base (CA)and Kelly Air Force Base (TX). (13)
Resentment among some Members over President Clinton's 1995 intervention persisted until the end of his second term. On October 28, the House passed the conference report by a vote of 286 to 123. Other significant features of the base closure report included (1)a recommendation by DOD to apply the model of previous independent base closure commissionsfor the two rounds proposed for 2001 and 2005; and (2) a statement touting the successful economicrecovery from base closures of many impacted communities. Senator John McCain and Senator Carl Levin, principal co-sponsors of newBRAC legislation the previous year (as well as in 1997), indicated that they were prepared, however,to seek support for passage of a floor amendment during Senate consideration of the FY1999 defenseauthorization bill ( S. 2057 / S. 2060 ). On February 27, 2001, Senator CarlLevin and Senator John McCain introduced a bill ( S. 397 ) to authorize two new roundsof base closures in 2003 and 2005. They ultimately agreed upon, and recommended, a series of provisions incorporating elements of both. Meeting in closed session onSeptember 6, 2001, the committee voted 17 to 8 for a new round. On September 25, 2001, the full Senate approved a new round of base closures and realignments in 2003 by a margin of 53 to 47 -- after an effort by Senator Jim Bunning to shelve theproposal failed. It was, for the Senate proponents of base closure, their first success in five years ofeffort. (34)
No base-closing language was included in the House of Representatives FY2002 defense authorization bill. 107-107 ) on December 28, 2001. 3001)
(1) Extend the authority of the 1990 base closure and realignment act to authorize one new round in 2005
Secretary of Defense (Sec. In 2001, however, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld succeeded in winningapproval from Congress for a new round.
Ninety-seven major military bases were recommended for closure and realignment by the 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995 base realignment and closure (BRAC) commissions. Action on all 451installations (major and minor) from the first four rounds was completed by the end of FY2001, asscheduled. The U.S. General Accounting Office has estimated that these closures and realignmentsproduced net savings of about $16.7 billion as of the end of FY2001 and will continue to producean estimated annual recurring savings thereafter of about $6.6 billion.
In mid-1997, Secretary of Defense William Cohen called for two new rounds of base closures and realignments. He explained that, while four previous rounds had achieved significant savings,it was important to continue the process of closing underutilized facilities. Despite DOD pressure,most Members of Congress were reluctant to support authorization of new base closure legislation,at least for the foreseeable future. The reasons given included, among others, grass-roots oppositionfrom communities likely to be affected and President Clinton's "intervention" in the 1995 baseclosure commission's recommendations regarding McClellan and Kelly air force bases. Of the twochambers, the House of Representatives expressed the stronger and more united opposition. In theSenate, proponents of new base closure rounds have attempted to attach amendments to each year'sdefense authorization bill since 1997, achieving success only toward the end of 2001.
The principal advocates in Congress for new base closures have been Senator John McCain and Senator Carl Levin. On February 27, 2001, they introduced legislation ( S. 397 ) toauthorize two new closure rounds in 2003 and 2005. On August 3, 2001, the Secretary of Defensesubmitted his own proposal to Congress, calling for one additional round in 2003. On September6, 2001, the Senate's defense panel incorporated elements of both proposals and passed the measureby a vote of 17 to 8. Later, in Senate floor debate (September 24, 2001), the Levin/McCain initiativepassed by a margin of 53 to 47.
However, many Members of the House were reluctant to support S. 397 , thus creating an impasse in the conference phase that delayed final passage of the FY2002 defenselegislation. Finally, on December 12, 2001, the conferees reached a compromise. They agreed toauthorize one new round of base closures in 2005. They also added language that revised variousaspects of previous base closure law -- the most notable of which, perhaps, will be the enhancedrole and influence of the Secretary of Defense in the base closure selection process. President Bushsigned the defense authorization bill into law ( P.L. 107-107 ) on December 28, 2001.
This report will be updated as warranted.