On the recordMay 9, 2002
I am adamantly opposed to base closures. After the first three rounds of base closure, we cannot name one weapons system that has been purchased with base closure money. We cannot find one general, one admiral, one Secretary of Defense, one undersecretary, who would name one base that they think ought to be closed. Yet my colleagues, particularly on the Republican side, have steadfastly refused even the simple courtesy of an up-or-down vote. Base closure ruins the lives of those military retirees, and over half of them, over half of them have retired near a base so they can use the commissaries and the hospitals. When we close the base, the commissary goes, the hospital goes; and we basically have ruined their lives. They are too old to move again.
Source
govinfo.gov
