Steve Buyer: “I would like everyone to recognize, this has been one of the consequences of base closures. Many of the retirees, they…”

“I would like everyone to recognize, this has been one of the consequences of base closures. Many of the retirees, they located next to these military treatment facilities and now that the bases have closed, they are unwilling to move, and they do not want to move. They are stationed where they are. So we are dealing with some cleanup work to do from base closures, and that is what this is about. I want to recognize the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) on the Subcommittee on Military Personnel whose letter we received, we made it a part of the Record; not only the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), but the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer), so we are well aware of their objections. We recognize that the Committee on Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means were not committees of jurisdiction on this, but what I want to say to the gentleman is that invitations were sent out, there were meetings with CBO and the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, and the Committee on National Security on this. The gentleman has raised some very interesting points here today, and what I would like to do between now and conference is for us to work together on this as we move toward a demonstration.”