Dianne Feinstein: “I certainly do object to the motion to proceed to the bill. I want to explain why in some detail. These provisions that…”

“I certainly do object to the motion to proceed to the bill. I want to explain why in some detail. These provisions that the Depot Caucus put in not only halts the public-private competitions for depot workload currently underway at both McClellan and Kelly Air Force Bases, but it essentially undermines any effort to do this work in the private sector in a more cost-effective way. The option to privatize certain depot workloads was explicitly made available by the BRAC Commission and was a part of the base closure decision. Yes, let their be no doubt, these bases will be closed. We know that. But an effort was guaranteed to be put underway to see if an amount of this workload could, in fact, be privatized. In its report to the President, the BRAC 95 Commission specifically recommended that the department "consolidate the remaining workloads to other DOD depots or to private-sector commercial activities as determined by the Defense Depot Maintenance Council." The President strongly supported the Commission's decision, specifically reinforcing the option of privatization.”