Mike Levin: “Mr. President, I support the Levin-McCain amendment, which will allow the Defense Department to reduce its excess…”

“Mr. President, I support the Levin-McCain amendment, which will allow the Defense Department to reduce its excess infrastructure and use resulting savings for needed equipment modernization. After four rounds of base closings (1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995), the U.S. military has eliminated 21 percent of its base structure. Overall force structure, people and weapons starting in 1988 and ending 5 years from now on the other hand, is being reduced by 36 percent. This gap between the level of our forces and our infrastructure should not continue to exist indefinitely. If we do not continue the process of reducing excess capacity, the Defense Department will not have the funds to modernize its increasingly outdated weaponry and continue to maintain adequate readiness. Today, we have heard arguments that the savings promised by earlier base closure rounds either have not materialized or have not been fully accounted for. Mr. President, I do not believe that we have to document exactly how much has been saved to the last nickel from previous BRAC's in order to continue this necessary process.”