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WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2005 – President Bush concurred with and sent the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's report to Congress on Sept. 15 for legislative review, White House officials announced.
Congress now has 45 legislative days to accept or reject the report in its entirety. Congress cannot make changes to the final report. The commission delivered its final report to the president on Sept. 8. The report lists the commission's recommendations for revamping the U.S. military's infrastructure and force structure. The president chose to approve the commission's report. He could have rejected it or returned it to the commission for revisions. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld cited the 2005 BRAC process as an opportunity "to reset our force." DoD took two and a half years to study and compile its recommendations for the 2005 BRAC. The department's BRAC report was released May 13. The BRAC commission approved 86 percent of DoD's original recommendations -- 119 with no change and another 45 with amendments. However, the commission rejected 13 recommendations, significantly modified another 13, and made five additional closure or realignment recommendations on its own initiative. DoD's BRAC recommendations would reduce excess military infrastructure between 5 and 11 percent and save $48.8 billion over 20 years, Rumsfeld said.
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