Snowe, Collins Continue Push to Save Commissary & Navy Exchange

Press Release

U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today announced that they have proposed legislation to prevent the closure of the Defense Commissary Agency store located in Topsham and the Navy Exchange Service Command store located in Brunswick. Both stores are currently scheduled to cease operations in March 2011.

"The simple fact of the matter is that the commissary and exchange programs are an extraordinarily valuable portion of the compensation benefit for military service to the Nation," said Senator Snowe. "The Topsham commissary and Brunswick exchange are not only an important benefit for the active duty military personnel that will support continuing military missions in Maine's Mid-Coast region and deploy overseas for wartime operations, but the many other patriots and their families who have rightfully earned the benefit these stores provide for their service and sacrifice, including the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in wartime, 100 percent disabled veterans, retired military members and their families, National Guardsmen and military reservists."

Senator Collins said, "The Mid-Coast region will continue to be home to many active duty service members, along with thousands of military retirees and their families. These brave men and women have earned commissary and exchange benefits that should not be denied by the end of military operations at BNAS."

Specifically, Senators Snowe and Collins are working to include language in the forthcoming defense authorization and appropriations bills that would prohibit the Defense Department from closing the commissary or exchange in fiscal year 2011. Furthermore, the legislation would direct the Secretary of the Navy to establish the profitability of the exchange store and to submit a report to the Congress on effective management practices of the store.

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