Senate Votes to Tie Base Closings to Audit
Opponents of the government’s plan to close some military bases got a mild victory Tuesday as a Senate subcommittee voted to tie the future of the domestic bases to a congressional audit.
The $288.2-billion military spending bill approved by the Appropriations defense subcommittee contains a provision that would prevent closure unless an audit determines the savings to the Pentagon over six years exceeds the cost of locking the gates.
A similar effort died in the House in July, but the Senate measure is considered attractive because the General Accounting Office audit would include all 86 bases targeted by a government commission. The House amendment affected only 15 bases.
Critics have accused the Commission on Base Closure and Realignment of using faulty data in the cases of some of the bases ordered to close by Sept. 30, 1995. They also question whether the commission considered the cost of environmental cleanup at the sites.
The commission said the government would save $5.6 billion over 20 years if the bases are closed.
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