THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM ARIZONA.
           

           A SENATOR: I ASK THAT THE QUORUM CALL BE DISPENSED WITH.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. MCCAIN: MR. PRESIDENT, I HAVE A BILL AT THE DESK AND ASK
           FOR ITS CONSIDERATION.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE DELERK WILL REPORT.
           

           THE CLERK: -- THE CLERK WILL REPORT.
           

           THE CLERK: --
           

           MR. MCCAIN: I ASK FOR ITS CONSIDERATION.
           

           THE CLERK: A BILL TO AMEND THE DEFENSE BASE CLOSURE REALIVEMENT
           ACT OF 1990, TO AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF BASE CLOSURES
           UNDER THAT ACT IN 2003 AND 2005, TO MODIFY CERTAIN AUTHORITIES
           RELATING TO CLOSURES AND REALIGNMENTS UNDER THAT ACT AND FOR

           OTHER PURPOSES. 6. MR. MCCAIN: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM ARIZONA CHANGE CANE MR.
           PRESIDENT, ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, SENATORS LEVIN, HAGEL,
           LIEBERMAN, VOINOVICH, FEINGOLD, JEFFFORDS, DEWINE, I INTRODUCE
           THIS LEGISLATION TODAY. OBVIOUSLY IT WILL BE REFERRED TO THE
           COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: DOES THE SENATOR HAVE A REQUEST?
           
           

           MR. MCCAIN: I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE BILL BE REFERRED
           TO THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE BILL WILL BE
           APPROPRIATE LIR REFERRED -- THE BILL WILL BE APPROPRIATELY
           REFERRED.
           
           
           

           MR. MCCAIN: MR. PRESIDENT, THIS LEGISLATION AUTHORIZE SALES OF
           MILITARY INSTALLATION AND REALIGNMENT CLOSURES TO OCCUR IF 2003
           AND 2005 COMMONLY KNOWN IN DEFENSE PARLANCE AS BRACK. I WOULD
           PREFER TO SAY THAT THIS IS A NEW IDEA. IT ISN'T. IN 1970, THE
           BLUE RIBBON DEFENSE PANEL KNOWN AS THE FITZHUGH COMMISSION MADE
           REFERENCE TO CONSOLIDATION OF MILITARY ACTIVITIES, THAT FEWER
           INSTALLATIONS WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO EFFICIENT OPERATIONS AND

           REDUCE SUBSTANTIAL -- WOULD PRODUCE SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS. IN
           1983, THE PRESIDENT'S PRIVATE SURVEY ON COST CONTROL, THE GRACE
           COMMISSION, MADE STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MILITARY BASE
           CLOSURES IN 1997, THE DEFENSE REVIEW RECOMMENDED THAT EVEN
           AFTER FOUR BASE CLOSURE ROUNDS IN 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, THE
           ARMED SERVICES MUST "SHED EXCESS INFRASTRUCTURE." LIKEWISE IN
           1997 DEFENSE REFORM INITIATIVE AND NATIONAL DEFENSE PANEL
           STRONGLY URGED CONGRESS AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO MOVE

           QUICKLY TO RESTORE THE BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE PROCESS.
           MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE TOO MANY MILITARY BASES. THE COLD WAR IS
           OVER. WE WILL NEVER HAVE A REQUIREMENT FOR AS MANY BASES WE
           HAVE TODAY. AND CLEARLY WE COULD SAVE ACCORDING TO MOST
           CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES SOMEWHERE BETWEEN $3 BILLION AND 4
           BILLION A YEAR OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT ARE NOW EXPENDED
           UNNECESSARILY ON KEEPING MILITARY BASES OPEN. THE CONGRESSIONAL

           BUDGET OFFICE, FORMER SECRETARY CHENEY AND WILLIAM COHEN,
           NEARLY ALL THE SERVICE CHIEFS AND OTHER DEFENSE EXPERTS HAVE
           BEEN CONSISTENT IN THEIR PLEA THAT THE PL BE PERMITTED TO
           DIVIDE VEST THEMSELVES OF EXCESS INFRASTRUCTURE BEYOND WHAT WAS
           ELIMINATED DURING THE PRIOR ROUNDS OF BASE CLOSINGS. LOU THE
           END OF 1998, THE PL HAD CLOSED 97 MAJOR BASES IN THE UNITED
           STATES, AFTER FREE -- FOUR PREVIOUS ROUNDS OF BRACK. SINCE
           THEN, IT HAS CLOSED NONE. MOREOVER, THE SAVINGS FROM CLOSING

           ADDITIONAL UNNEEDED BASES SHOULD BE USED FOR MOD DAIGS
           PURPOSES. MR. PRESIDENT, WE'VE HEARD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL
           YEARS THE DIRE SITUATION OF OUR MILITARY FORCES. WE'VE HEARD
           TESTIMONY OF READINESS, MODERNIZATION PROGRAMS, THAT ARE
           DECADES BEHIND SCHEDULE AND QUALITY OF LIFE DEFICIENCIES THAT
           ARE SO GREAT, WE CANNOT RETAIN OR RECRUIT THE PERSONNEL WE
           NEED. AS A RESULT OF THIS REALIZATION, THERE HAS BEEN A
           GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT IN CONGRESS FOR THE ARMED FORCES.
           INCLUDING A NUMBER OF PAY RETIREMENT AND MEDICAL BENEFIT

           INITIATIVES AND THE PROMISE OF A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN
           DEFENSE SPENDING. ALL THESE PROPOSALS ARE EXCELLENT STARTING
           POINTS TO HELP REBUILD OUR MILITARY, BUT WE MUSTN'T FORGET THAT
           MUCH OF IT WILL NOT BE HELPFUL IF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS
           OBLIGATED TO MAINTAIN 23% EXCESS CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
           WHEN WE ACTUALLY LOOK FOR DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THESE INITIATIVES,
           IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT SOMEONE WOULD NOT LOOK TO THE
           BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE SAVED BY BASE REALIGNMENT AND

           CLOSURE. ONLY 30% OF THE DEFENSE BUDGET FUNDS COMBAT FORCES.
           WHILE THE REMAINING 70% IS DEVOTED TO SUPPORT FUNCTIONS SUCH AS
           BASES. CONTINUING TO SQUANDER PRECIOUS DOLLARS IN THIS MANNER
           WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO ADEQUATELY MODERNIZE OUR
           FORCES FOR THE FUTURE. THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF HAVE STATED
           REPEATEDLY THAT THEY DESIRE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO STREAMLINE
           THE MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE. WE CAN'T SIT BY IDLY AND THROW
           MONEY AND IDEAS AT THE PROBLEM WHEN PART OF THE SOLUTION IS

           STARING US IN THE FACE. THIS LEGISLATION OFFERS A SIGNIFICANT
           CHANGE TO PRESENT LAW. UNDER THIS BILL, PRIVATIZATION IN PLACE
           WOULD BE PERMITTED ONLY WHEN EXPLICITLY RECOMMENDED BY THE
           COMMISSION. ADDITIONALLY, THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MUST
           CONSIDER LOCAL GOVERNMENT INPUT IN PREPARING HIS LIST OF
           DESIRED BASE CLOSURES. TOTAL BRACK SAVINGS REALIZED FROM THE
           FOUR PREVIOUS CLOSURE ROUNDS EXCEED TOTAL COST TO DATE.
           DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FIGURES SUGGEST PREVIOUS BASE CLOSEINGS

           WILL SAVE AFTER ONE TIME CLOSING COSTS $15 BILLION THROUGH
           FISCAL YEAR 2001, $25 BILLION THROUGH 2003, AND $6.1 BILLION A
           YEAR THERE AFTER. ADDITIONAL NEEDED CLOSURES CAN SAVE $20
           BILLION BY 2015 AND $3 BILLION A YEAR THERE AFTER. SOONER OR
           LATER THESE SURPLUS BASES WILL BE CLOSED ANYWAY. THE SOONER THE
           ISSUE IS ADDRESS, THE GREATER WILL BE THE SAVINGS AND WILL
           ULTIMATELY GO TOWARD DEFENSE MODERNIZATION AND GREATER PAY
           RAISES FOR SERVICE MEMBERS. PREVIOUS BASE CLOSURE ROUNDS HAD

           MANY SUCCESS STORIES. FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER ENGLAND AIR FORCE BASE
           CLOSED IN 1992. ALEXANDER, LOUISIANA, BENEFITED FROM THE
           CREATION OF OVER 1,400 JOBS. NEARLY DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF JOBS
           LOST. ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, ABOUT 60,000 NEW JOBS HAVE BEEN
           CREATED AT CLOSING MILITARY BASES. AT BASES CLOSED MORE THAN
           TWO YEARS, NEARLY 75% OF THE CIVILIAN JOBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
           IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, THE NUMBER OF DEFENSE JOB LOSSES
           AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE WORKFORCE WAS GREATER THAN AT ANY OTHER

           BASE CLOSURE LOCATION LOCATION. 23 MAJOR ENTITIES ARE REUSING
           THE FORMER NAVY FACILITIES AND PROVIDING FOREMAN 3,300 JOBS.
           AND ANOTHER 13 MORE IN CIVILIAN INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS ARE
           PENDING ADDING SOON EVEN MORE NEWLY CREATED JOBS TO THAT
           NUMBER. ADDITIONALLY, ROUGHLY 75% OF THE 6 MILLION SQUARE FEET
           OF LEASEIBLE SPACE ON THE BASE IS OCCUPIED. THIS IS COMPARABLE
           TO THE SUCCESSES IN MY HOME STATE OF ARIZONA WITH A CLOSURE OF
           WILLIAMS AIR FORCE BASE IN THE VALLEY. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT

           BASE CLOSURES ARE EASY FOR ANY COMMUNITY, BUT IT DOES SUGGEST
           THAT COMMUNITIES CAN AND WILL CONTINUE TO THRIVE. MR.
           PRESIDENT, WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A MILITARY
           INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE DON'T NEED OR WE CAN PROVIDE THE
           NECESSARY FUNDS TO ENSURE OUR MILITARY CAN FIGHT AND WIN FUTURE
           WARS. EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND ON BASES WE DO NOT NEED IS A DOLLAR
           WE CANNOT SPEND ON TRAINING OUR TROOPS, KEEPING PERSONNEL
           QUALITY OF LIFE, AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL, MAINTAINING FORCE
           STRUCTURE, REPLACING OLD WEAPONS SYSTEMS AND ADVANCING OUR

           MILITARY TECHNOLOGY. WE NEED TO FINISH THE JOB WE STARTED BY
           AUTHORIZING THESE TWO FINAL ROUNDS OF BASE REALIGNMENT AND
           CLOSURE. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US IN SUPPORT OF THIS
           CRITICAL BILL AND TO WORK DILIGENTLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO PUT
           ASIDE LOCAL POLITICS FOR WHAT IS CLEARLY IN THE BEST INTEREST
           OF OUR MILITARY FORCES. MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT
           THAT THE BILL TO AUTHORIZE TWO ADDITIONAL BASE REALIGNMENT
           CLOSURE ROUNDS BE PRINTED IN THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD FOLLOWING
           MY REMARKS.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. MCCAIN: FOURTH MORE, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT IF THERE ARE
           ANY MORE STATEMENTS RELATING TO BASE CLOSURE, THEY BE PRINTED
           IN THE RECORD AND I ASK AT THIS TIME UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE
           STATEMENT OF SENATOR LEVIN BE INCLUDED IN THE RECORD
           IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING MY REMARKS.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO ORDERED.
           

           MR. MCCAIN: MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT SENATOR
           MCCAIN'S LEGISLATIVE FELLOW NAVY WLT COMMANDER DALE BULB
           GRANTED FULL PRIVILEGES DURING CONSIDERATION TO AMEND THE
           DEFENSE CLOSURE AND REALIGNMENT ACT.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. MCCAIN: MR. PRESIDENT, I BELIEVE THAT THIS MEASURE IS LONG
           OVERDUE. I BELIEVE THAT THE ADDITIONAL THREE TO $4 BILLION A
           YEAR THAT WE COULD SAVE BY CLOSING UNNECESSARY BASES COULD BE
           USED FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR MEN AND
           WOMEN IN THE MILITARY. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS REALLY HARD TO
           UNDERSTAND WHY WHEN THE MAJORITY OVERWHELMINGLY OF OUTSIDE

           OPINION, WHETHER IT BE LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
           THAT ARE WATCHDOGS OF OUR DEFENSE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, ALL
           AGREE THAT WE HAVE TOO MANY BASES. WE NEEDED THESE BASES DURING
           THE COLD WAR, AND WE NEEDED THEM VERY BADLY AND THEY OBVIOUSLY
           CONTRIBUTED ENORMOUSLY TO OUR ABILITY TO WIN THE COLD WAR. NO
           ONE ENVISIONS, NO ONE ENVISIONS FUTURE THREATS THAT WOULD
           REQUIRE THE NUMBER OF BASES THAT ARE PART OF OUR MILITARY

           ESTABLISHMENT TODAY. I HOPE THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ARMED
           SERVICES COMMITTEE WHO IN THE PAST YEAR SAYS
{END: 2001/02/27 TIME: 15-00 , Tue.  107TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}