U.S. Defense Secretary: Congress Unlikely to Support Military Base ClosuresU.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday that he has little confidence that Congress will grant his request for authority to close, consolidate or realign domestic military bases starting in 2003.Proposed legislation creating an independent commission to determine which bases to close or consolidate was submitted to Congress on Friday after last-minute disputes were settled over the role of Congress in selecting the commission members and Rumsfeld's power to protect some bases from closure. Asked whether he was confident that Congress would allow bases to be closed, Rumsfeld replied, "No, I'm not ... It's a very difficult thing to do." The process is certain to encounter political resistance, and House and Senate members want to protect communities in their states and districts from the economic losses associated with base closures, Rumsfeld said at a press conference. The savings to the Pentagon will not be realized for several years because it would take billions of dollars in upfront costs to close and consolidate bases, he added. |
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