Kanjorski Cosponsors Bill to Delay Base Closing Commission until 2007

WASHINGTON-Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski today announced that he has helped introduce H.R. 4023 bill that would delay the creation of a Commission to examine the potential elimination of defense bases around the country.

"To even discuss another round of closures is premature when the last round of BRAC has not even been fully implemented," the Congressman said. "Additionally, the importance of Tobyhanna and all military installations cannot be truly assessed while we are at war with Iraq."

The Department of Defense will submit a recommended list of closures to a nine-member Commission in May 2005. The President must nominate Commission members by March 2005 who will then be approved by the Senate. The current BRAC timeline would have the Commission announce its closure list in October 2005. This bill would delay the creation of a Commission until 2007.

"One of the criteria for closure is current and future mission requirements and impact, and the Department of Defense cannot produce an accurate score for this category as long as the provisions for jobs and funding promised in the last round have not been augmented," Congressman Kanjorski said.

Tobyhanna specializes in communications and electronics for all branches of the military, producing everything from handheld radios to satellite communications. The Depot performs maintenance work as well as upgrades. Tobyhanna employs 3,200 civilian and military personnel and is the largest employer in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Depot faced closure in the first Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in 1995.  The announcement was a devastating blow to the base because it was entirely unexpected. Tobyhanna was not included on the original list of proposed closures prepared by the Department of Defense. 

Congressman Kanjorski and other leaders rallied tirelessly with the Tobyhanna community to keep the base open. The effort was a great success and resulted in the addition of a significant number of jobs from other closed bases around the country.  BRAC recommended the transfer of about 800 jobs from McLellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, Calif., and about 300 from Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg to Tobyhanna. Some of these jobs have yet to be moved.

The Congressman worked diligently to include an amendment to the repeal the BRAC in the 2004 Defense Appropriations Bill, but the measure failed and Congress voted to go forward with base closures. Congressman Kanjorski has also cosponsored the BRAC Repeal Act of 2003, which would nullify the closures if signed into law.

The Depot's economic impact on the state is $1.1 billion. Pennsylvania has 12 military installations, which include depots, logistics centers and an education institution.  In the last four rounds of base closures, Pennsylvania has lost 16,033 jobs.

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