Military Base Realignment: Contracting Opportunities for Impacted Communities

On Friday, February 8, 2008, the Subcommittee held an oversight hearing entitled, “Military Base Realignment: Contracting Opportunities for Impacted Communities.”

The Department of Defense (DOD) is currently implementing its fifth round of the base realignment and closing (BRAC) process. The current BRAC effort is the largest round undertaken by the Department. DOD plans to execute over 800 closures and realignment actions, which is double the number of actions completed in the prior four rounds. As a result, the federal government will spend billions of dollars on construction, service, and product procurement contracts.

However, it is not yet clear whether the benefits of these contract opportunities will be extended to businesses in the affected communities in a systematic manner. This hearing reviewed whether BRAC opportunities are accruing to small, local, veteran-owned, or minority-owned businesses, and whether state and local governments have input into contracts awarded in their communities.

The hearing examined DOD efforts in providing information about BRAC contracts and procurements; increasing awareness of the resources that are available to assist firms seeking BRAC-related work; and expanding outreach to connect small, minority-owned, or veteran-owned firms, local officials, military buyers and federal procurement officials.

Witnesses:

Ms. Luwanda Jenkins, Special Secretary, Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs, State of Maryland

Mr. Hubert Green, President, Prince George’s Black Chamber of Commerce

Mr. John Watkins, President, Ingenium Corporation

Mr. Rick Weidman, Executive Director, Policy & Government Affairs, Vietnam Veterans of America

Mr. Timothy Foreman, Director, Secretary of the Navy, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Ms. Tracey Pinson, Director, Secretary of the Army, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization