Arlington, VA – This evening, the Senate passed the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and failed to include an amendment proposed by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) to implement another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in 2019. BRAC is the process of closing down empty or under-utilized military bases that are costing the Department of Defense (DOD) billions every year.
Last year, the DOD estimated that they are operating at over 20 percent capacity.
Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Policy Director Dan Caldwell issued the following statement:
“It’s discouraging to see Congress miss a perfect opportunity to make our military stronger and more effective. BRAC is a common-sense measure that would save taxpayers billions and help the Pentagon realign resources toward urgent national security priorities.
“We thank Senator McCain and Senator Reid for their efforts and will continue to press lawmakers to work toward another round of BRAC going forward. The future of our national security is contingent on our ability to properly manage resources at home.”
The last five rounds of BRAC since 1988 have allowed the DOD to reap nearly $12 billion in savings every year. The 2005 BRAC is now producing $4 billion in savings a year.
Earlier this year, CVA joined the Cato Institute and forty other organizations to sign a bipartisan coalition letter in support of BRAC. CVA was also urging its activists to contact their Senators in support of the McCain-Reed amendment.
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