Thomas Daschle: “I have joined with many others in voting yes every step of the way. Yes on authorizing four rounds of base closures. Yes…”

“I have joined with many others in voting yes every step of the way. Yes on authorizing four rounds of base closures. Yes on closing 97 bases. And yes on aligning 55 others. So, let no one doubt this Senator's willingness to cast a difficult vote in support of our national defense. I have done so in the past and am prepared to do so in the future. However, voting to close more bases at this time makes no sense--for our military, for our budget and, perhaps most importantly, for local communities. This is the position not only of the Senators from the Dakotas and Senators from across the country, it is also the position, as the distinguished Senator from North Dakota noted, of the Congressional Budget Office, of the General Accounting Office, and even the Base Closure Commission.”