In 2005, there was an extensive base realignment and closure (BRAC) that helped consolidate many of the military's installations across the country, but it looks like there won't be another round any time soon. On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee overwhelmingly voted against another round of BRAC as it fleshes out details for Pentagon spending, according to The Associated Press.
The push for further rounds of BRAC had been led by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, but the idea did not seem to sit well with Congress – it was rejected by a 44-18 vote on an amendment that prohibited the closures. Along with voting down any realignment and closures, the committee settled on a $554 billion defense budget, slightly more than the $551 proposed by President Barack Obama.
Although there was widespread opposition to the closures, there were some who voted against the amendment. Among them was Rep. Adam Smith, who believes the measure took things too far, according to The Hill.
"To simply cut off the debate and say DoD can’t do this and can’t even think about it, I think is irresponsible," he told the website.
The amendment was crafted by Rep. Rob Wittman, who says the Armed Forces should not be closing bases on top of the proposed $487 billion budget cut over the next 10 years.