Duo call for revised BRAC ’19

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – On the 16th anniversary of 9/11, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) filed an amendment Sept. 11 to the Senate’s defense authorization bill for FY 2018 to authorize a round of base closures and realignments starting in 2019. Military installations are considered prized possessions in some congressional districts, so getting fellow lawmakers to agree will be a challenge. Reed claimed the duo’s approach for BRAC addresses concerns with the 2005 round - cost and the need to close excess installations. The estimated cost of implementing BRAC would be capped at $5B, and the list of submitted recommendations would have to yield net-savings within seven years of completing the closures, according to the amendment. The duo also proposed doing away with the closure commission, requiring the Defense Department to submit recommendations to Congress. The Government Accountability Office would review the list and Congress could amend it. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said that closing excess installations would save $10B over five years. The White House wants a new round of base closings to start in 2021. The GOP-led House rejected that request in July. (Source: Defense News 09/13/17)