June 17, 2005   SENATORS COLLINS AND LIEBERMAN ANNOUNCE RECEIPT OF THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF BRAC-RELATED DOCUMENTS, SECURE COMMITMENT FROM SECRETARY ENGLAND THAT ADDL REQUESTS WILL BE RESPONDED TO Pentagon’s Deadline for Producing BRAC Documents Was Noon Today   WASHINGTON, DC-- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairman Senator Susan Collins and ranking member Senator Joseph Lieberman today announced that they have received thousands of pages of documents related to the base closure and realignment (BRAC) process as a result of the subpoena they issued to the Department on June 7. The original June 13th deadline carried by the subpoena was extended to noon today. In addition, the Senators secured a commitment from Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England that the Department would continue to respond to requests as they arise and that he would make available to the Senators for interviews key analysts who were directly involved in the BRAC recommendations. “While we would have preferred that the Department complied with our requests for BRAC-related information without the subpoena, it proved effective in securing vital information that is critical to individual communities in their upcoming field hearings. We do believe that the Department of Defense has been responsive to the subpoena and has worked in good faith to fulfill its obligations. The documents that we have received appear to be useful in our efforts and those of community groups and task forces. It is our hope that the cooperation shown to us since the subpoena was issued is an indication that, from this point forward, the BRAC process will be both open and accountable,” said the Senators in a joint statement. Text of the Senators’ letter to Secretary England is as follows: June 17, 2005 The Honorable Gordon England Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense The Department of Defense Washington, DC 20301 Dear Secretary England: We are writing concerning the subpoena issued by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on June 7, 2005 and the Department of Defense’s continuing obligation to ensure the transparency of the 2005 BRAC process. First, we want to thank you for your responsiveness to the subpoena as well as for reaching out to us in an attempt to address our concerns about the BRAC process. Your assurances give us reason to hope that the process from here forward will in fact be accountable and open, and that DoD will embrace – not resist – attempts by communities and Congress to ensure that the right decisions have been reached. As a result of negotiations between our staffs, we agreed to narrow the scope of the subpoena in exchange for your agreement to expedite production of the documents we identified. We are pleased with the results of this agreement, which yielded thousands of pages of information that has helped us and others better understand how DoD reached some of its base closure and realignment decisions. To briefly review the process, we sent you targeted information requests, pursuant to the subpoena, on June 9, 13, 14, and 16. We also agreed to extend the deadline for the subpoena until today at noon. You have produced information responsive to most of our targeted requests, though some, of course, remain outstanding. When you met with us this week, you committed to providing us full access to information that we request relating to the 2005 BRAC round even after we have deemed your obligations under the subpoena satisfied. You also committed to making DoD analysts and other personnel available to meet with us, our staffs, and others whom we choose to invite, if and when we request such meetings during the course of this process. We appreciate these commitments and, as a result of them and DoD’s responsiveness thus far to the subpoena, we agree that, once you have produced all of the information requested in our June 9, 13, 14, and 16 transmissions, DoD’s obligations under the subpoena will have been satisfied. Susan M. Collins Joseph I. Lieberman Chairman Ranking Member   ###   Printable Version   « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 June 2005 Press Releases   June 29 - IN RESPONSE TO COLLINS-LIEBERMAN COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION, STATE DEPARTMENT AND TERRORIST SCREENING CENTER ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO SHARE TERRORIST INFORMATION   June 27 - SENATOR COLLINS COMMENDS DHS REPORT TO COORDINATE HOMELAND SECURITY EFFORTS WITH CANADA & MEXICO   June 24 - SENATOR COLLINS’ STATEMENT ON LINDA SPRINGER   June 23 - SENATOR COLLINS PRESSES FOR STRONGER TRADE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST UNFAIR COMPETITION FROM FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS   June 22 - COMMITTEE APPROVES COLLINS - FEINGOLD BILL TO SAVE TAXPAYERS $300 MILLION ANNUALLY BY ELIMINATING WASTEFUL SPENDING IN PURCHASE CARD PROGRAM   June 22 - COMMITTEE APPROVES SENATOR COLLINS’ BILL TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR AMBULANCE, RESCUE & OTHER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES   June 22 - COMMITTEE APPROVES COLLINS-CARPER POSTAL REFORM LEGISLATION   June 21 - SENATORS COLLINS, LIEBERMAN INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR FIRST RESPONDERS   June 21 - SENATOR COLLINS CHAIRS HEARING ON JUVENILE DIABETES   June 17 current Press Release   June 16 - SENATOR COLLINS CALLS FOR CRACKDOWN ON GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS WHO CHEAT ON THEIR TAXES, POSE UNFAIR COMPEITITION   June 15 - SENATOR COLLINS CALLS FOR FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN SECURITY AT CHEMICAL FACILITIES   June 13 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RESPONDS FURTHER TO SENATORS COLLINS, LIEBERMAN’S SUBPOENA, DELIVERS ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS TO THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE   June 12 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RELEASES MORE BRAC-RELATED DOCUMENTS FOLLOWING SENATORS COLLINS, LIEBERMAN ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENA LAST WEEK   June 10 - SENATOR COLLINS STATEMENT ON NCTC DIRECTOR NOMINATION   June 10 - SENATOR COLLINS’ STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT’S NOMINATIONS FOR PRIVACY & CIVIL LIBERTIES OVERSIGHT BOARD   June 8 - SENATOR COLLINS JOINS EFFORT TO CRACK DOWN ON SAUDI SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM   June 7 - SENATORS COLLINS AND LIEBERMAN ISSUE SUBPOENA FOR BASE CLOSURE DOCUMENTS   June 2 - DoD RELEASED BRAC DATA INSUFFICIENT, ACCORDING TO SENATORS COLLINS AND LIEBERMAN
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 340 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510