Congressional Record—House H9293
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
October 27, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H9293 but are requiring enormous restric- lowing title in which the concurrence stand when you get on the phone and tions that preclude a location in a met- of the House is requested: you try to get a conversation with ropolitan area anyplace in the country, S. 1285. An act to designate the Federal Chairman Principi or General So-and- and that are going to cost such a pre- building located at 333 Mt. Elliott Street in So or Admiral So-and-So, a lot of peo- mium to build, they are going to make Detroit, Michigan, as the ‘‘Rosa Parks Fed- ple want to talk to them. I must say them prohibitive for any other activity eral Building’’. that I was fortunate to be able to talk to be in those buildings. The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Com- to each and every one of them. I had Mr. Speaker, I could go on at greater mittee will resume its sitting. quality time. But the fact of the mat- length on why I do not think that these f ter is the staff followed through once recommendations make sense from a again with on-site visits, and that was DISAPPROVING THE REC- cost standpoint, from a military effec- so very important. OMMENDATIONS OF THE DE- tiveness standpoint, from just a com- The dedication and determination FENSE BASE CLOSURE AND RE- mon-sense standpoint. I will not do demonstrated by the Commission, its ALIGNMENT COMMISSION that, but I will summarize by again accessibility for individual members, pointing out that these recommenda- The Committee resumed its sitting. their willingness to listen produced a tions are going to cost billions of dol- Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 7 product that I think we can all be lars to build new buildings for DOD minutes to the gentleman from New proud of. money that we do not have, that we are York (Mr. BOEHLERT), the distin- Let me once again address those who going to have to take from veterans guished chairman of the Committee on represent communities who are not health care. It is not going to improve Science. treated favorably by the BRAC rec- our military preparedness. It is going (Mr. BOEHLERT asked and was given ommendations. I have been through to cause a brain drain in terms of many permission to revise and extend his re- that before with a magnificent Air of the agencies that we rely so much on marks.) Force base that dissolved back as a re- for technological superiority and intel- Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I sult of the 1993 Commission report, and ligence. And when you have a rec- thank the gentleman for yielding me in 1995 it actually closed down with a ommendation that causes such addi- time. couple of exceptions. And there were tional cost and is going to make it so Mr. Chairman, many of us who have some people in the community at large much more difficult to implement our been privileged to serve in this great who wanted to write the economic military mission, I think the right institution for some time have been obituary for that community, Rome, thing to do is to reject it. through this process many times. This New York, and the surrounding areas. That is what this resolution does. is not the first or second or third. We There were others, a lot of us, not just That is what I would urge my col- have had BRAC after BRAC. But I me, the mayor, the county executive, leagues in this body to do, to vote for could not agree more with my distin- local officials, business communities, the resolution of disapproval that has guished colleague from Colorado (Mr. that were determined to make the best of a bad situation. been offered by the gentleman from Il- HEFLEY) who observed this was the best linois (Mr. LAHOOD) so as to have the BRAC of all. We are finally getting it b 1130 right. This was the least political, administration go back and tell us Today, that once-vibrant military in- most professional BRAC we have ever ways they can, in fact, save money, stallation, Griffis Air Force Base, is ways they can, in fact, improve the ef- had. And that is a tribute to Chairman now a very vibrant business and tech- ficiency and effectiveness of our mili- Principi and all of the distinguished nology park with upwards of 4,000 peo- tary mission. members of the panel: Admiral ple gainfully employed there; but part The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Gehman; General Newton; former Con- of that installation involves an Air BONNER). The Committee will rise in- gressman and colleague Jim Bilbray; Force research laboratory which was formally. Phil Coyle; Sam Skinner; General set off as a containment area as a re- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Turner; Jim Hansen, another former sult of the decision to close the base in HEFLEY) assumed the chair. colleague who served with great dis- 1993, and the people at DOD and every- f tinction; and General Hill. This reads where were wondering would this work. like a Who’s Who list of distinguished It has worked in spades, and now the MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE Americans who are providing a very Air Force research laboratory, inciden- A message from the Senate by Ms. important service for our Nation. tally operating out of a $25 million Curtis, one of it clerks, announced that The fact is DOD had too much phys- state-of-the-art new facility, is the the Senate has passed with amend- ical inventory. It is costing DOD to center of excellence for the entire Air ments in which the concurrence of the maintain that physical inventory. It is Force in command, control, commu- House is requested, a bill of the House costing the taxpayers. So understand- nications, and intelligence technology. of the following title: ably they wanted some realignment, It is an information directorate, and it H.R. 3057. An act making appropriations adjustments; and there had to be win- not only services the Air Force well for foreign operations, export financing, and ners and losers. As someone who has but it services a whole wide range of related programs for the fiscal year ending been on both sides of that issue, let me other activities. It is serving so well. September 30, 2006, and for other purposes. say I know what it is like. I can feel So BRAC looked at that and made The message also announced that the the pain of the losers. But I would say the decision that some operations that Senate insists upon its amendments to to those who are on the short end of had been located there should be trans- the bill (H.R. 3057) ‘‘Making appropria- the recommendation, one, you should ferred elsewhere in line with the over- tions for foreign operations, export fi- have confidence that the recommenda- all scheme of the Air Force to consoli- nancing, and related programs for the tions were made once again by the date like operations at a central facil- fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, least political, most professional BRAC ity. Some moved out; some moved in. and for other purposes,’’ requests a we have ever had, a BRAC whose indi- The net result is maybe a gain of 15 to conference with the House on the dis- vidual members, including the Chair- 25 jobs for Rome, New York. I am not agreeing votes of the two Houses there- man, were available not just to have a supporting the BRAC because we have on, and appoints Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. courtesy photo opportunity, but to got 15 or 25 jobs. I am supporting the SPECTER, Mr. GREGG, Mr. SHELBY, Mr. hear out those of us who had presen- process and what it did and what it BENNETT, Mr. BOND, Mr. DEWINE, Mr. tations before that Commission. produced. BROWNBACK, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. LEAHY, They asked pertinent questions. Let me tell my colleagues another Mr. INOUYE, Mr. HARKIN, Ms. MIKULSKI, They had on-site visits. They were story. At that same business and tech- Mr. DURBIN, Mr. JOHNSON, Ms. very, very serious about their impor- nology park, we now have a defense fi- LANDRIEU, and Mr. BYRD, to be the con- tant work; and they were not alone. nance accounting service, and that em- ferees on the part of the Senate. The highly dedicated and very com- ploys exactly 382 people. DOD said, The message also announced that the petent professional staff of BRAC was well, we want to consolidate, restruc- Senate has passed a bill of the fol- even more accessible. You can under- ture. We do not need 26 locations all VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:00 Oct 28, 2005 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K27OC7.044 H27OCPT1 H9294 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 27, 2005 over the country. We want to go down pleted its periodic force review, which After a series of hearings and debates to three locations. That did not really is supposed to be the blueprint for what today, the House will vote on H.J. Res. make a heck of a lot of sense; and when we need for the 21st century. 65, disapproving recommendation of all was said and done, when the BRAC So we will be closing bases, losing the Defense Base Closure and Realign- looked at that, they recognized that key personnel, diminishing critical ca- ment Commission. I stand here in op- maybe the answer was somewhere in pabilities, even before we have deter- position to that resolution and support between.