Arlington, VA – Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) has signed onto a broad, bipartisan coalition letter urging Congress to reduce excess military infrastructure by implementing a new round of base realignment and closure (BRAC). Read the full letter here.
CVA Policy Director Dan Caldwell issued the following statement:
“The Pentagon should not waste taxpayer dollars on infrastructure that is not critical to our national security. The money going towards empty or under-utilized bases should be used for other priorities. Contrary to what some politicians would want you to believe, BRAC is common sense and not at all controversial.”
The Pentagon has repeatedly requested authority to close unneeded or underutilized bases. It estimates its capacity exceeds its needs by over 20 percent, a figure that remains true even if the U.S. military remains at its current size, or grows modestly. Both the Obama and Trump administrations have called on Congress to institute BRAC.
CVA supported a recent measure by U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) that would create an independent commission tasked with selecting the bases to close or downsize. The measure would also require the DoD to assess its infrastructure needs about the number of personnel and to certify the need for recommended closures and realignments.
CVA Policy Director Dan Caldwell recently published an op-ed in RealClearDefense calling on Congress to embrace BRAC.
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