Mike Levin: “we have received now a letter from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff representing all of the chiefs urging the…”

“we have received now a letter from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff representing all of the chiefs urging the Senate to continue their unequivocalness to continue the 2005 round of base realignment and closures as authorized by Congress. They are pleading with us not to leave this issue unresolved because the savings which are essential for the transformation of our military are savings they want to achieve. They are working very hard on the transformation of our military. They clearly intend there be a global posture review, and there will be a global posture review, taking into account the closing of bases overseas. There is a commission that must be created this year and is required to report to us on the review of the overseas military facility structure. This is referred to in the amendment. As I understand it, they have not yet been appointed, but it is required that the leadership appoint that commission, and it is required, obviously, that the Secretary of Defense and Department of Defense next year, in making their recommendations, take into account the very report this amendment says should be taken into account. So we have a global posture review which is underway. It will be completed. We have a commission to review overseas military facilities. That is all in place. It is all ongoing. It is all in order. There is a logic to it all in terms of looking at the overseas bases first.”