Base closure recommendations go into effect

The Defense Department announced Wednesday that the recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission to restructure the military's network of facilities across the country have gone into effect, after Congress opted not to take action to block them.

The nine-member BRAC Commission delivered its recommendations to President Bush on Sept. 8. He passed them on to the House and Senate on Sept. 15. Legislators then had 45 legislative days in which to reject the recommendations, or they would go into effect automatically.

In late October, the House voted overwhelmingly to reject a last-ditch effort to halt the base-closure process, signaling a relatively quiet end to an often raucous, six-month process.

On a 324-85 vote, the House defeated a joint resolution sponsored by Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., that would have disapproved the BRAC Commission's proposals, which include the closure of 22 major military facilities and the realignment of 33 others.

Overall, the commission backed 86 percent of the Pentagon's proposed 190 closures and realignments, with estimated savings of $35.6 billion over the next 20 years.

According to the Defense Department, four previous BRAC rounds -- in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995 -- resulted in 97 major closures, 55 major realignments and 235 minor actions. Those moves saved around $18 billion though fiscal 2001 and $7 billion per year since, the Pentagon has reported.

Megan Scully of CongressDaily contributed to this report.