Military Base Closures: Time for Another Round?

This report provides information on military base realignment and closings since 1988. It also describes important aspects of the ongoing effort by the Department of Defense to persuade Congress to authorize new base closure rounds. It explains why DoD regards it as critically necessary, and why some Members of Congress are adamantly opposed to any new closures at this time. The report discusses key base closure developments, beginning with the 105th Congress and continuing in the current 106th Congress. The most recent notable actions include 1 Senator John McCains sponsorship of S. 258 January 20, 1999 calling for two new closure rounds in 2001 and 2003 2 the Clinton Administrations budget submission to Congress February 1 seeking two more rounds in 2001 and 2005 and 3 the Senate Armed Services Committees rejection May 12 and 13 of proposals by Senators McCain and Carl Levin to provide for at least one new round of base closings in 2001. This action took place during the committees mark-up of the FY2000 defense authorization bill S. 1059. Of 97 major military bases recommended to be closed or realigned by the 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995 base realignment and closure BRAC commissions, no more than four remain open. Action on all 451 installations major and minor from the first four rounds is expected to be completed by the end of FY2001, as scheduled. The Department of Defense has estimated that these closures and realignments will produce net savings of about 14 billion by the end of FY2001, and estimated annual savings thereafter of about 5.7 billion. In the current year, Senators McCain and Levin have once again assumed the lead in calling for two new base closure rounds in 2003 and 2005. On June 7, 2000, however, their amendment to the FY2001 defense authorization bill was defeated on the floor by a vote of 63 to 35. The positions of the opposing sides in the debate reflected the same concerns expressed in previous years.