BRAC Process Finally Ends, Oklahoma Bases Safe
BRAC PROCESS FINALLY ENDS, OKLAHOMA BASES SAFE
October 27, 2005
Lucas Votes Against Last-Ditch Bill to Reverse BRAC Decision
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Third District Congressman Frank Lucas voted today against a measure designed to stop the Base Realignment and Closure decision from becoming law, and declared the process officially completed.
"It felt good today to put the final nail in the BRAC coffin," Lucas said. "Residents of Enid and Altus can now know that there is no chance of a reversal of the BRAC Commission's decision to maintain both Vance and Altus Air Force Bases."
In May, the Department of Defense announced its recommendations to close or realign some installations in order to reduce overhead and match infrastructure with future military needs. The BRAC Commission approved 86 percent of these recommendations, and in September, President Bush approved the commission's recommendations and forwarded them to Congress for review.
"When the Defense Department announced that our bases weren't on the BRAC list, the champagne corks were popping in Enid and Altus. When the BRAC Commission agreed to keep our bases off the list, we breathed another sigh of relief. But this vote today signifies the end of the road for the BRAC process. Finally, after years of preparations, exhortations, and appropriations, this process is finally over."
Both Altus Air Force Base and Vance Air Force Base in Enid emerged from the scrutiny of the BRAC process unscathed. Vance Air Force Base will expand its pilot training mission, resulting in an additional 99 civilian and military jobs and an additional 25 military aircraft for the base. Altus Air Force Base will not lose a single civilian job or a single plane, and all of Altus' major base missions remain.
"The community leaders of Altus and Enid and the state and federal leaders should all be proud of our years of work on securing our Oklahoma military bases," Lucas said. "Our efforts have paid off."
The bill that failed today, H.J.Res. 65, would have rejected the BRAC report in its entirety. It failed today by a vote of 85 - 324. Congress had a 45-day deadline to enact legislation disapproving the report to stop it from becoming law.
Lucas believes this BRAC round will be the last for some time.
"I think we've seen our last BRAC round for about 20 years," Lucas said. "But we will continue our decades-long efforts to secure the readiness and military value of our Oklahoma bases."
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ok03_lucas/bracover.html