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Senators ask Rumsfeld to allow military personnel to talk to base closing panel

CongressDaily June 14, 2005

Thirteen senators have asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to allow military personnel to speak freely to the independent Base Closure and Realignment Commission about his recommendations to shutter more than 33 major military installations.

In the letter Monday, the senators asked Rumsfeld to assure them that members of the military would not be discharged, demoted or face any other penalties for providing information to the commission.

"To enable the BRAC Commission to obtain authoritative information regarding decisions on military value taken by the department in connection with its recommendations, we request that you permit any member of the Armed Forces to freely answer questions and/or provide to the commission testimony as to the military value of any military installations," the senators wrote.

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A Pentagon spokesman said today military members are free to testify.

"If the commission feels it needs to get information from an individual, that person can do that," the spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said the letter was a "pre-emptive move" so military personnel can speak openly during regional BRAC hearings, which get under way Wednesday in Alaska.

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  • Why can't the Congressmen/women and Senators just stop this bull!!! Do they realize how many men/woman, military/civilians this is affecting or do they just don't care. Do they realize how our military fighting Bush's war feel knowing that their loved ones are losing their jobs. So if they make it home from the war safely they may not have a home to come to. What is Rummy and Bush thinking. Oh, sorry they are not thinking. They don't care. They won't be homeless, jobless or moneyless. Their children and grandchildren won't suffer. Twenty-one years on a job and I have no clue what to do when they close down my job. worker bee kc GovExec.com reader Posted June 16, 2005 8:40 AM
  • It is not just military personnel who are "muzzled". Our boss has advised us that "we do not have an opinion" on the BRAC issues and if asked, we should stay silent. We HAVE NO MILITARY in our office. This is a civilian boss telling civilian employees to be quiet. GovExec.com reader Posted June 16, 2005 10:38 AM
  • I am amazed! Some of the people who (govern?) our country have finally (apparently) discovered that the military are not allowed to say anything that is, in any way, critical of their leadership under pain of possible court-martial proceedings. Too bad they didn't pay more attention to what laws they were passing, and to what those laws actually said and meant, instead of just blindly following the administration's lead. I wonder - could that have any bearing on the glowing comments about our progress in Iraq and other areas? GovExec.com reader Posted June 15, 2005 8:20 AM
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