103-06A RH2 - Executive Correspondence and Releases Regional Hearing - Portland OR Page: 1 of 24
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DCN: 3378
News from:
EARL BLUMENA UER
BLUMENAUER
PORTLAND, O KEGO HN
June 17, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tim Daly (202) 225-4813
Kathie Eastman (503) 231-6995
Blumenauer Testifies at BRAC Hearing
Urges Commission to Keep Current Operations at Portland Air Base
Portland, Ore. - Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) testified before the Base Realignment
and Closure (BRAC) Commission today, urging Commissioners to keep current operations intact
at the Portland Air Base. Last month the Pentagon recommended to the BRAC Commission that
it realign the Air Base by relocating its Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve air wings.
The BRAC Commission was in Portland today taking testimony from local officials about the
issue.
"To begin with, I want to stress my support for the BRAC process," said Blumenauer in his
testimony. "I think it is important for the Pentagon to align and right-size its facilities for the
military operations of today and tomorrow. Because of my support for the BRAC process, I am
concerned that if this is not done correctly, it undermines the long-term credibility of the BRAC
process.
"I have a special responsibility, in this case, because the Portland Air Base is located in my
district. Yet the impact of the proposed realignment of the 142nd Air Wing and 939th Air
Refueling Wing will affect not only my constituents, but the security of every citizen in Oregon,
Washington, Idaho and beyond.
"The greatest risk that we face is terrorism and nuclear proliferation. We know that the
Northwest has already been the location of terrorist activity in the run up to the Millennium New
Year and since 9/11. The military capacity of the Portland Air Base is something that makes a
real difference for the security of Oregonians and represents some of the most effective money
we spend on national security. Yet, the Pentagon did not factor homeland security in to its
recommendations in any shape or form.
"Under the proposed realignment of the 142nd's F-15s, there would only be two fighters on alert
as part of the NORAD air defense alert mission in the entire Northwest United States. This
would leave our state and our region unacceptably vulnerable to threats. In fact, it would leave
the Northwest with less air defense capacity than we had before 9/11 and unable to respond to
any attack that occurred in more than one location, as did the attacks on September 11t
"The final insult in these recommendations is that the realignment of the Portland F-15s will cost
more money than keeping them in place would. I believe that we should be willing to pay todefend our homeland. It makes no sense to pay to make our homeland less secure.
"Members of the BRAC Commission are the only people who can correct this entire problem of
the absence of consideration for homeland security needs. Congress can only vote the final list
down; we cannot edit it. And, as a proponent of the BRAC process, I trust that you will take
homeland defense into account, in a way that the Pentagon didn't, and allow Congress to move
this process forward in a way that will ensure the safety and security of our nation."
The BRAC Commission must make its formal recommendations on base closures to the
President by September 8th. The President and then Congress will take final action on the
recommendations later this year.
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103-06A RH2 - Executive Correspondence and Releases Regional Hearing - Portland OR, letter, June 30, 2005; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc17005/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.