The Senate Wednesday, by 60-40, defeated an amendment to the fiscal 2000 defense authorization bill-sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., and Senate Armed Services ranking member Carl Levin, D-Mich.-that would have approved another round of military base closings.
Defense Secretary William Cohen contends that closing antiquated bases-many of them Cold War relics-could save the Pentagon nearly $4 billion a year that would be better spent on military hardware. But Congress has always been reluctant to close bases-and Republicans contend that President Clinton meddled in the process to save jobs at bases in vote-rich California and Texas during his 1996 re- election campaign.
The administration's proposal for two new rounds of base closings-one in 2001 and another in 2005-was rejected earlier this month by the Armed Services panel. McCain and Levin today were seeking to win approval for just one round, in 2001 after Clinton leaves office.
Three previous rounds-in 1991, 1993 and 1995-closed 70 bases and depots. The existing process calls for Congress to authorize a round of closings, then for the independent Base Realignment and Closure Commission to select the bases.
Meanwhile, President Clinton Tuesday fired off a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., threatening a veto of the defense authorization bill if a provision prohibiting the use of fiscal 2000 funds for the Kosovo mission is in it. Citing the need for "a consistent message to the Milosevic regime" that the country is united behind NATO efforts, Clinton called the restriction "simply unacceptable." The provision was approved by the House Armed Services panel.
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