Mike Levin: “60 percent of the bases overseas have been closed, and that is a fact. I don't know where the Senator from Alaska has…”

“60 percent of the bases overseas have been closed, and that is a fact. I don't know where the Senator from Alaska has been traveling, but I suggest he go to Germany where we have basically dismantled our huge defense establishment, which was necessary and no longer is. There are stacks and stacks of information that can be provided about the costs that have been reduced as a result of the base closings that have taken place. Finally, we are now in an Orwellian argument that not closing bases somehow saves money. It is the strangest argument I have been through on the floor of the Senate. We have to reduce these. I do not intend to move to table the Dorgan amendment. I expect the Dorgan amendment will win. But I will tell my colleagues right now, this will be a sad day. This will be a sad day in the history of the Senate, because we will not have fulfilled our obligations to the men and women in the military because we continue to siphon off money to pay for bases that we don't need instead of paying for the troops and the equipment that they need to fight and win.”