Political Quotes

“Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the chairman and the ranking member. I represent the Fourth Congressional District of Maryland, which is home to Joint Base Andrews. Joint Base Andrews is home to Air Force One, the 11th Wing, and the 113th Wing that supports air sovereignty over the Mid-Atlantic region, including the National Capital region. Currently, 15,000 personnel work at Joint Base Andrews, including 7,000 active duty servicemembers. When the 2005 BRAC process is complete, an additional 3,000 personnel will work at Joint Base Andrews, bringing the total to 18,000 personnel. Unfortunately, when considering shifting resources, the commission did not account for changes outside the gate required to deliver increased personnel to the installation. {time} 2300 And I refer to the activity at Joint Base Andrews as one of many examples across the country of these significant BRAC impacts on local infrastructure. The underlying bill goes a long way toward correcting significant transportation infrastructure impacts related to installation realignment. My amendment clarifies that if a significant transportation impact will occur as a result of a realignment action, the action may not be taken unless and until the Secretary analyzes the potential impact of the action on local businesses, neighborhoods, and local government. These can sometimes be quite significant and unaccounted for.…”