Defense Base Closure, A.M. Session

The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission continued its hearings on the list of military base closures proposed by the Department of Defense with additional bases proposed for closure by the commission itself. Witnesses were members of Congress and local leaders testifying against closure of military installations within their districts or states. The commission is gathering information on the military installations slated for closure in order to create a list of recommended closures for President Bush by July 1. The list, with the president’s approval, will then be submitted to Congress who must vote on the entire package of military base closures, not on individual bases. The list of closures was proposed by the Department of Defense as part of its plan to reduce the overall manpower of the U.S. military 25% by 1996. The reduction, according to the Pentagon, is due to budget restraints and an overall realignment of U.S. military strategy following the end of the Cold War in close