Washington, D.C. —
Senator John Thune is urging his colleagues to support the three BRAC-related amendments he introduced to the Defense Authorization bill.
Each of the three amendments would empower Congress with critical information or options before voting on the BRAC Commission’s upcoming recommendations. The amendments are (1) delay base closures until completion of a number of pending planning studies and conditions, including the Quadrennial Defense Review and deployment home of substantially all troops from Iraq and Afghanistan (2) extend whistleblower protections to members of the armed services who might disagree with the Pentagon’s BRAC recommendations and desire to share that information with the BRAC Commission, and finally (3) a variant of the first amendment that would allow Congress the discretion to remove bases from the BRAC closure list once the same long-term planning studies and conditions were met.
“These amendments will give Congress the information and power we need to avoid a grievous mistake,” Thune said. “We should not move forward with permanent base closures in such a quickly changing world. These common-sense amendments will slow down the process, while ensuring Congress has the power and information it needs to do the right thing.”
Each of the three amendments would empower Congress with critical information or options before voting on the BRAC Commission’s upcoming recommendations. The amendments are (1) delay base closures until completion of a number of pending planning studies and conditions, including the Quadrennial Defense Review and deployment home of substantially all troops from Iraq and Afghanistan (2) extend whistleblower protections to members of the armed services who might disagree with the Pentagon’s BRAC recommendations and desire to share that information with the BRAC Commission, and finally (3) a variant of the first amendment that would allow Congress the discretion to remove bases from the BRAC closure list once the same long-term planning studies and conditions were met.
“These amendments will give Congress the information and power we need to avoid a grievous mistake,” Thune said. “We should not move forward with permanent base closures in such a quickly changing world. These common-sense amendments will slow down the process, while ensuring Congress has the power and information it needs to do the right thing.”