Durbin Statement Regarding Military Base Realignment and Closures

DURBIN STATEMENT REGARDING MILITARY BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURES

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement regarding the recommendations of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission:

"The BRAC Commission's report is now in the hands of the President. I hope he will see this work for what it is - a short-sighted and error-ridden set of recommendations that will cut jobs in the communities like Springfield and Rock Island and fail to comply with the criteria established for this BRAC process under law."

"Senator Obama and I have encouraged the President to give this report a failing grade and return it to the Commission for changes. Absent that, I will vote against the Commission's recommendations when they come before the Senate."

"I encourage Governor Blagojevich and Attorney General Madigan to continue their legal fight to preserve the 183rd Air National Guard Fighter Wing in Springfield. This BRAC report undermines the strength and effectiveness of the Air National Guard when we are all too aware of the Guard's importance and the strains it is under."

"I am grateful that Scott Air Force Base will gain jobs and planes as a result of this process and that the Peoria Air National Guard unit will keep flying. But I simply cannot look the other way when it comes to BRAC decisions that will harm the Rock Island Arsenal and the 183rd Fighter Wing and fail to follow the commission's own published standards."

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=245533&&