Washington, D.C. -- This morning, Secretary Donald Rumsfeld received a letter from Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission Chairman Anthony J. Principi asking for additional information pertaining to the recent BRAC list. Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is one of the installations in question.

Senator Daniel K. Akaka stated:

"Pearl Harbor's role in our national security cannot be understated. I will continue to work with our Hawaii delegation to ensure that this vital military resource will not close."

"Although the Commission is in the early stages of the BRAC process, I believe that it would be detrimental to close Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard because it is located in a fleet concentration area in the Pacific. In addition, Pearl Harbor has aircraft carrier dry-docking capabilities and would allow the United States to maintain dry docks for aircraft carriers on both coasts and in the central Pacific."