By By Buddy Bynum / editor
May 21, 2004
The future of the 2005 round of military base closures took another turn Thursday as the U.S. House stuck to its position in favor of a two-year delay.
The vote puts the House at odds with a Senate version of a $422 billion defense authorization bill, which does not include the delay, and the differences must be worked out in a conference between the two houses.
U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss., said he played a key role in a bipartisan coalition that worked to retain the BRAC delay during House consideration of the bill, and the effort prevailed by a 97-vote margin. An amendment to eliminate the delay was defeated on a vote of 259-162.
U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is also a vocal opponent of base closure. The amendment to delay BRAC originated in his committee.
Taking the same stance advocated by U.S. Sens. Trent Lott and Thad Cochran earlier this week, Pickering said U.S. bases on foreign soil should be reviewed before any domestic bases are closed.
Lott's amendment to review 721 U.S. military installations overseas failed in the Senate on Tuesday by two votes, 47-49; three senators said to support it were absent and missed the vote.
The Bush Defense Department is seeking to close or realign as many as 25 percent of the military bases in the U.S., including units of the National Guard. Both the Meridian-based 186th Air Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard and Naval Air Station Meridian are potential BRAC targets.