Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. Madam Chair, I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment which makes clear that no funding made available by this bill can be used to carry out another wasteful round of base realignment and…
Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
Madam Chair, I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment which makes clear that no funding made available by this bill can be used to carry out another wasteful round of base realignment and closure, or BRAC.
Folks in the Lowcountry still remember the disastrous effects BRAC had on our economy in the past. Our region lost more than 20,000 jobs, according to some estimates, after the 1993 BRAC Commission recommended the closure of the Charleston Naval Shipyard.
My amendment would make sure that the Joint Base Charleston, Parris Island, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and the Beaufort Naval Hospital do not suffer the same fate.
Combined, these important national security assets are estimated to account for nearly $13 billion in economic impact and support 78,000 jobs.
But this amendment isn't just about preserving my district's economy. It is also about fiscal responsibility. The last BRAC round in 2005 cost taxpayers over $35 billion and is not expected to save even one- third of that.
This is funding that should have gone to rebuilding our military and improving its readiness but was, instead, spent devastating military communities across the country.
This is why I am asking that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle join me in supporting this amendment, which will ensure that military communities in the Lowcountry and across the Nation are spared the effects of another reckless BRAC round.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, in closing, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe) for joining me in offering this amendment. I also thank Chairman McGovern and my colleagues on the Rules Committee for allowing this important amendment to come to the floor for debate.
I ask that my colleagues vote in favor of this amendment to ensure that our military's limited resources are not wasted on another round of BRAC.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment, which would further emphasize our need to ensure our military is prepared for the ever-growing risk of climate change and rising sea levels. To that end, my amendment would make sure further DOD construction projects meet military resilience standards.
I have said time and time again that climate change is our greatest nonmilitary threat, but climate change also poses a significant threat to our military's readiness. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Lowcountry, which is home to some of our Nation's most critical national security assets. Parris Island, one of only two military bases that makes enlisted marines and the only military base that makes female enlisted marines, faces frequent flooding and could be flooded for over a third of the year by 2050.
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the only place in the world where pilots are trained to fly the F-35B, faces similar flooding risks, which threaten to disrupt training and fielding of these aircraft.
Just this year, Joint Base Charleston was identified by the Air Force as one of the top five bases most susceptible to the risks associated with climate change.
I am offering this amendment because it is imperative that these important defense assets are prepared, not only because they are critical to our national security, but also because they are an indispensable part of our economy in the Lowcountry.
Combined, these important national security assets are estimated to account for nearly $13 billion in economic impact and support 78,000 jobs in our district.
Mr. Chair, this is an urgent issue that threatens military installations across this Nation, so I ask that my colleagues join me in support of my amendment and the readiness of our Armed Forces.
Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).
Mr. Chair, in closing, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for speaking in favor of my amendment and for all of her hard work in constructing this year's Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill.
This legislation makes significant investments toward ensuring our men and women in uniform have the facilities they need to keep our Nation safe and improving services at the VA. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle join me in supporting my amendment as well as the underlying bills.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
