[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
               THE CLOSING OF PLATTSBURGH AIR FORCE BASE

  Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, it is now 8 months since the Base 
Closure and Realignment Commission overruled the recommendations of the 
Air Force, the Secretary of Defense, and its own staff and elected to 
close Plattsburgh Air Force Base and expand McGuire Air Force Base, 
rather than the opposite. The Air Force had proposed to establish its 
East Coast Air Mobility Base at Plattsburgh, taking advantage of its 
outstanding runway and parking ramp, its extensive new refueling 
system, the excellent base infrastructure, and the lack of airspace 
congestion.
  The members of the Commission concluded that Secretary Aspin had 
deviated substantially from two closure criteria when he placed a 
higher military value on Plattsburgh than McGuire. The Commission's 
staff conducted their own exhaustive analysis and reached the same 
conclusion as Secretary Aspin, that Plattsburgh had greater military 
value. Tragically, the Commissioners reached a different conclusion; 
move the new air mobility base to McGuire and close Plattsburgh. They 
did not close any other large aircraft base that the Air Force wanted 
to keep open.
  The result is that the Air Force is spending $43 million this year, 
$78 million next year, and more in 1996 to bring a base it did not want 
up to the standards of an air mobility base. Plattsburgh is facing a 
massive disruption in the fabric of its community as its largest 
employer prepares to leave town. The only conclusion I can draw from 
this decision is that the Commission, which we established to remove 
politics from the base closure process, brought politics back in. The 
BRAC process may be an improvement over previous efforts to close 
bases, but it is imperfect and subject to the same biases as before. My 
colleagues should take note, as we are just a year from the next round. 
Take nothing for granted.
  There is one recourse for Plattsburgh, and that is the Federal 
courts. Governor Cuomo, Mayor Rabideau of Plattsburgh, Town Supervisor 
Art Lefavre, and others have filed a complaint against the Commission 
for exceeding its authority in finding substantial deviation by the 
Secretary of Defense. I will file an amicus brief with the court in 
this matter, and I trust that Plattsburgh will finally get a fair 
hearing. If going to court undermines the base closure process, so be 
it.

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