[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 18, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5447-S5448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THUNE (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Bingaman, Ms. Collins, 
        Mr. Domenici, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lott, Ms. Murkowski, 
        Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Sununu):
  S. 1075. A bill to postpone the 2005 round of defense base closure 
and realignment; to the Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that would 
delay the implementation of the 2005 round of the Defense Base Closure 
and Realignment report issued by the Department of Defense on May 13, 
2005. The bill would postpone the execution of any decisions 
recommended in the report until certain anticipated events, having 
potentially large or unforeseen implications for our military force 
structure, have occurred, and both the department and Congress have had 
a chance to fully study the effects such events will have on our base 
requirements.
  The bill identifies three principal actions that must occur before 
implementation of BRAC 2005. First, there must be a complete analysis 
and consideration of the recommendations of the Commission on Review of 
Overseas Military Structures. The overseas base commission has itself 
called upon the Department of Defense to ``slow down and take a 
breath'' before moving forward on basing decisions without knowing 
exactly where units will be returned and if those installations are 
prepared or equipped to support units that will return from garrisons 
in Europe, consisting of approximately 70,000 personnel.
  Second, BRAC should not occur while this country is engaged in a 
major war and rotational deployments are still ongoing. We have seen 
enough disruption of both military and civilian institutions due to the 
logistical strain brought about by these constant rotations of units 
and personnel to Iraq and Afghanistan without, at the same time, 
initiating numerous base closures and the multiple transfer of units 
and missions from base to base. This is simply too much to ask of our 
military, our communities and the families of our

[[Page S5448]]

servicemen and women, already stretched and over-taxed. And frankly, 
our efforts right now must be devoted to winning the global war on 
terrorism, not packing up and moving units around the country.

  Our bill would delay implementation of BRAC until the Secretary of 
Defense determines that substantially all major combat units and assets 
have been returned from deployment in the Iraq theater of operations, 
whenever that might occur.
  Third, to review or implement the BRAC recommendations without having 
the benefit of either the Commission or Congress studying the 
Quadrennial Defense Review, due in 2006, and its long-term planning 
recommendations seems counter-intuitive and completely out of logical 
sequence. Therefore, the bill requires that Congress receive the QDR 
and have an opportunity to study its planning recommendations as one of 
the conditions before implementing BRAC 2005.
  Fourth and Fifth: BRAC should not go forward until the implementation 
and development by the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security of 
the National Maritime Security Strategy; and the completion and 
implementation of Secretary of Defense's Homeland Defense and Civil 
Support Directive--only now being drafted. These two planning 
strategies should be key considerations before beginning any BRAC 
process.
  Finally, once all these conditions have been met, the Secretary of 
Defense must submit to Congress, not later than one year after the 
occurrence of the last of these conditions, a report that assesses the 
relevant factors and recommendations identified by the Commission on 
Review of Overseas Base Structure; the return of our thousands of 
troops deployed in overseas garrisons that will return to domestic 
bases because of either overseas base reduction or the end of our 
deployments in the war; and, any relevant factors identified by the QDR 
that would impact, modify, negate or open to reconsideration any of the 
recommendations submitted by the Secretary of Defense for BRAC 2005.
  This proposed delay only seems logical and fair. There is no need to 
rush into decisions, that in a few years from now, could turn out to be 
colossal mistakes. We can't afford to go back and rebuild installations 
or relocate high-cost support infrastructure at various points in this 
country once those installations have been closed or stripped of their 
valuable capacity to support critical missions. I, therefore, introduce 
this legislation today and call upon my colleagues to join us in 
supporting its passage.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1075

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. POSTPONEMENT OF 2005 ROUND OF DEFENSE BASE CLOSURE 
                   AND REALIGNMENT.

       (a) Postponement.--Effective May 13, 2005, the Defense Base 
     Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of 
     Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 2915. POSTPONEMENT OF 2005 ROUND OF DEFENSE BASE 
                   CLOSURE AND REALIGNMENT.

       ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     this part, the round of defense base closure and realignment 
     otherwise scheduled to occur under this part in 2005 by 
     reasons of sections 2912, 2913, and 2914 shall occur instead 
     in the year following the year in which the last of the 
     actions described in subsection (b) occurs (in this section 
     referred to as the `postponed closure round year').
       ``(b) Actions Required Before Base Closure Round.--(1) The 
     actions referred to in subsection (a) are the following 
     actions:
       ``(A) The complete analysis, consideration, and, where 
     appropriate, implementation by the Secretary of Defense of 
     the recommendations of the Commission on Review of Overseas 
     Military Facility Structure of the United States.
       ``(B) The return from deployment in the Iraq theater of 
     operations of substantially all (as determined by the 
     Secretary of Defense) major combat units and assets of the 
     Armed Forces.
       ``(C) The receipt by the Committees on Armed Services of 
     the Senate and the House of Representatives of the report on 
     the quadrennial defense review required to be submitted in 
     2006 by the Secretary of Defense under section 118(d) of 
     title 10, United States Code.
       ``(D) The complete development and implementation by the 
     Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security 
     of the National Maritime Security Strategy.
       ``(E) The complete development and implementation by the 
     Secretary of Defense of the Homeland Defense and Civil 
     Support directive.
       ``(F) The receipt by the Committees on Armed Services of 
     the Senate and the House of Representatives of a report 
     submitted by the Secretary of Defense that assesses military 
     installation needs taking into account--
       ``(i) relevant factors identified through the 
     recommendations of the Commission on Review of Overseas 
     Military Facility Structure of the United States;
       ``(ii) the return of the major combat units and assets 
     described in subparagraph (B);
       ``(iii) relevant factors identified in the report on the 
     2005 quadrennial defense review;
       ``(iv) the National Maritime Security Strategy; and
       ``(v) the Homeland Defense and Civil Support directive.
       ``(2) The report required under subparagraph (F) of 
     paragraph (1) shall be submitted not later than one year 
     after the occurrence of the last action described in 
     subparagraphs (A) through (E) of such paragraph.
       ``(c) Administration.--For purposes of sections 2912, 2913, 
     and 2914, each date in a year that is specified in such 
     sections shall be deemed to be the same date in the postponed 
     closure round year, and each reference to a fiscal year in 
     such sections shall be deemed to be a reference to the fiscal 
     year that is the number of years after the original fiscal 
     year that is equal to the number of years that the postponed 
     closure round year is after 2005.''.
       (b) Ineffectiveness of Recommendations for 2005 Round of 
     Defense Base Closure and Realignment.--Effective May 13, 
     2005, the list of military installations recommended for 
     closure that the Secretary of Defense submitted pursuant to 
     section 2914(a) of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment 
     Act of 1990 shall have no further force and effect.

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