Paul Coverdell: “I am opposed to that and have so stated and have so advised the Secretary of Defense. I do not believe there should be…”

“I am opposed to that and have so stated and have so advised the Secretary of Defense. I do not believe there should be another Base Realignment Closure Commission until the administration can certify to the Congress that all the work of the previous Base Realignment Closure Commissions has occurred and properly. Many of us, particularly in the States affected by Air Force depots, believe the President and the administration undermined BRAC and undermined the confidence in the people and the Congress with regard to its integrity, because essentially the President overrode the 1995 BRAC recommendations, in our judgment, particularly as they relate to Kelly Air Force Base in Texas and McClellan Air Force Base in California. That is in dispute. I certainly acknowledge the comments and characterizations that have been made by the good Senators from Texas and California. But this issue must be resolved and it must restore the confidence of the Congress and it must reassert an integrity into the process for the people who undergo this horrendous process, that the legislation has to apply to the President, the administration and the Department of Defense, not just to the people in Congress. I rise in opposition to the McCain amendment and in support of the second-degree amendment offered by Senators Dorgan, Lott and Daschle.”