House OKs Next Round of Base Closures

The House voted Thursday to allow the first round of U.S. military base closures and consolidations in a decade, clearing the way for facilities across the country to start shutting their doors as early as next month.

In a 324-85 vote, the House refused to veto the final report of the 2005 base closing commission, meaning the report seems all but certain to become law in mid-November. Targeted facilities then would have six years to close and shift forces as required under the report.

Both the House and Senate must pass resolutions rejecting the report to stop the Pentagon’s sweeping restructuring of its far-flung domestic base network. But, as expected, the House effort by Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) failed. And there’s no similar attempt under way in the Senate.

Opposition to closing bases dropped steadily in both chambers as the nine-member commission changed parts of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld’s original recommendations and issues such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita commanded Congress’ attention.

The panel sent President Bush its final report in September. He signed off on it and sent it to Congress on Sept. 15. That began a 45-legislative-day period for Congress to reject the report.

Congressional critics and many local officials fear the impact of base closures on their area economies -- and on their political futures. They argue that the United States should not restructure military bases while the U.S. military is engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan.

LaHood, whose district includes a base in Springfield, Ill., that is to lose 15 National Guard fighter jets, urged colleagues to reject the report “in support of those that are citizen soldiers who come from those communities.”

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who supports closing bases, said: “These issues have been thoroughly discussed and debated.”

The Bush administration said that halting the round of base closings “would harm U.S. national security interests by preventing improvements designed to address the new demands of war against extremists and other 21st century needs.”

The report calls for closing 22 major military bases and reconfiguring 33 others. Hundreds of smaller facilities will close, shrink or grow. The commission said the changes would save $4.2 billion a year.