House nixes bid to delay BRAC round

An attempt to delay the latest round of proposed defense base closings and realignments was defeated by the House on a 317-111 vote Wednesday, before it passed its proposed fiscal 2006 defense authorization measure on a 390-39 vote.

During a day of amendments, the House also approved a last-minute compromise between House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and opponents, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, to require Congress be notified before any military positions closed to women be changed.

And the House again, by a 233-194 vote, refused to permit overseas military hospitals to perform abortions.

Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., offered the amendment to delay the base-closing round until after the Pentagon completes several top-level reviews, including the sweeping Quadrennial Defense Review, and after a substantial number of troops return from Iraq.

It was likely the last chance to delay the BRAC round, which might result in the closure of 33 major defense installations and the realignment of hundreds more.

"Let's be extremely careful before closing 33 major bases and hundreds of smaller facilities [not to] undermine the security of our nation," Bradley said. Delaying the BRAC round ensures that the government exercises the "necessary care and necessary restraint," he added.

Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Joel Hefley, R-Colo., supported a two-year delay in BRAC last year, but said "with reluctance" he could not support the provision this year, largely because Rumsfeld's recommended list of closures has been released and the independent base-closing commission has started its work.

Hunter agreed, saying, "The horse is out of the stable at this point, and we have to move ahead with the process."

House GOP leaders like Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, also weighed in. "I do not favor that amendment," DeLay told reporters Wednesday. "The BRAC process is just starting and there is absolutely no reason to delay the process. It's a process I have always supported."

DeLay opposed the amendment even though he is working against the Pentagon's proposal to retire 15 F-16 fighters used by the 147th National Guard unit at Ellington Field in his Texas district. "We are going to make our case," he said.

Meanwhile, the House approved an amendment that would prevent the Defense Department from waiving 50 percent U.S.-content requirements mandated by the Buy American Act.

The Pentagon has done that through memorandums of understanding with other countries permitting the department to substitute foreign components for those produced domestically.

The amendment, introduced by Small Business Chairman Don Manzullo, R-Ill.,is another attempt by the House to wield the defense authorization process to strengthen "Buy American" regulations. Similar provisions have been turned down by the Senate and removed from the bill in conference committee.

The compromise on the role of women in combat was approved 428-1 as part of a broad manager's amendment offered by Hunter Wednesday.

The amendment, which underwent three major revisions in the last few weeks, requires the Pentagon to give Congress 60 legislative days' notice before making any changes in women's combat roles. Under current law, the Pentagon must notify Congress 30 legislative days before opening any of the 191 military positions closed to women.

Several lawmakers who publicly opposed the first two versions ultimately voted for the manager's amendment, including Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., Armed Services ranking member Ike Skelton, D-Mo., Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee ranking member Vic Snyder, D-Ark., and Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif. Rumsfeld also voiced his support to Hunter.

Susan Davis contributed to this report.