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Congress Fighting Base Closures Despite Cost Savings

May 30, 2013

Congress is refusing to allow the Pentagon to save money by closing unnecessary bases and facilities, according to an article in Government Executive.

The Pentagon wants to assess its facilities through the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) process. The last BRAC round ended up costing $14 billion more than the $21 billion estimated cost, but now it is saving the government between $4 billion and $5 billion a year.

The article quoted POGO’s Winslow Wheeler on the possibility of a future BRAC round.

“Congress can run from BRAC, but it cannot hide,” said Winslow T. Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at the Center for Defense Information with the Project On Government Oversight. “The selfish and the self-aggrandizing on the Hill will succeed on BRAC this year and proclaim proudly that they beat it down -- thereby diverting funds needed for readiness to protect pork. But as the future unfolds, excess bases will be closed one way or another,” he said in an email. “BRAC is not the only way of doing it; clearly, the era when we could expect Congress to face reality through the BRAC process is long gone.”

Read more at Government Executive.

By: Andre Francisco
Online Producer, POGO

andre francisco Andre Francisco is the Online Producer for the Project On Government Oversight.

Topics: National Security

Related Content: DOD Oversight, Waste

Authors: Andre Francisco

Submitted by Dfens at: June 1, 2013
The only program POGO ever wants to cancel are the programs that are either in or just ready to transition to production. You are happy to have the US taxpayer foot the bill for development, where contractors make most of their obscene profits, but then as soon as these programs are ready for production, POGO is wailing for their cancellation. What are we supposed to use for weapons? Spitwads? Let's fact it, POGO consistently looks out for the interests of the government contractors. I haven't seen a single red cent in reduced taxes because of all the bases the DoD has closed so far, and the money going to defense contractors has gone up exponentially in that same period, yet you claim you are for cutting "wasteful" bases? Right. You are just another defense contractor mouth piece.
Submitted by Paratrooper at: June 1, 2013
When trying to identify cost savings, you have to look at the wider picture, and what a base closure means to the surrounding community. For that matter, the Interstate system is a huge part of our defense infrastructure. We have to look at cost/savings/utilization with a greater sense of wisdom. Knee jerk reactions can cost us more than they save.
Submitted by Wanda With Wheels at: May 31, 2013
No, mr Dpens, this is not true. It is literally possible, tho no one wants to try to cut bases, And, zero out the half of programs that are not needed or which are defective and grossly over-run.
Submitted by randym at: May 31, 2013
Organized Crime pushes full speed ahead with their plan to distroy America
Submitted by Dfens at: May 30, 2013
This is crap! Why does Wheeler always come down on the same side of these issues as the defense contractors? Let's face it, all either of them want is to have fewer bases so we can pump more money into weapons programs. Wake up, POGO you're on the wrong side -- again!

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