mr. chairman , i yield myself such time as i might consume . 
mr. chairman , i have long supported the base closure process as a way to eliminate excess infrastructure in the department of defense . 
this is an important and very noble goal . 
we need all of our resources to be devoted towards supporting our fighting men and women . 
this includes having the best and most efficient facilities . 
for this reason , mr. chairman , i will today vote to uphold the list recommended by the brac commission and against the resolution of disapproval . 
even though i support the brac , i would like to take this opportunity to comment on the process that was used in this round of brac . 
in the last three brac rounds , the defense department demonstrated that it could successfully close bases and reduce infrastructure through a measured and deliberative process . 
in this round , however , neither the department of defense nor the brac commission , in my opinion , has lived up to the high standards that we set for them . 
the execution of the process and the final outcome has suffered . 
the end result is that i doubt we will see another round of base closures due to missteps along the way . 
this is it , mr. chairman . 
this is it for brac . 
but even with the brac shortfalls , i feel that the congress created a law that we are obligated to follow . 
while it missed some opportunities , the commission made some closures that will benefit the nation . 
there are some outstanding prospects for jointness included on the list . 
i sincerely hope that the department of defense will work to maximize their effect , while it works to assist communities that will be affected by closures with redevelopment . 
mr. chairman , we must vote upon the product that is before us and the good that it can do . 
this brac may not be perfect , but we must take the opportunity presented to us to streamline our military infrastructure . 
mr. chairman , i reserve the balance of my time . 
