Sherman Votes ‘No’ on Base Closings

October 27, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. " Congressman Brad Sherman voted Thursday against closing and reconfiguring hundreds of military bases and letting the Pentagon shift thousands of jobs from Naval Base Ventura County to the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake.

The House cleared the way for the first round of base closings in a decade when it rejected by a vote of 324 to 85 a resolution to disapprove recommendations of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

President Bush last month went along with the commission that voted to move the armaments research, development, acquisition, testing and evaluation functions from Point Mugu to the Navy station 150 miles away at China Lake. More than 2,200 military and civilian government jobs and as many as 3,500 private sector jobs could be affected by the transfer.

œThe unfortunate consequence of this decision will be a brain drain, Sherman said. œMost of the civilian workers simply will not move from Ventura County to China Lake. It is a shame that the Pentagon is willing to waste the skills of so many talented people in Ventura County.

Sherman also questioned the estimated savings projected by the Pentagon, and said U.S. military bases in Germany should be closed before shutting or reconfiguring installations critically important to the economies of communities across the United States.

China Lake is located in the district of Congressman Bill Thomas, the influential chairman of the House Ways and Means committee. œApparently, logic doesnt count when a powerful Republican is involved, Sherman said.

œThe commission concluded that skilled technical experts will move from Ventura County to China Lake in the Kern County desert, Sherman said. œObviously they havent been to Ventura County or China Lake.

Naval Base Ventura County includes a naval air station, naval air warfare center, naval satellite operations center, and naval surface warfare center. It is credited with generating over 15,000 direct and indirect jobs, and is important to the economy of the entire San Fernando Valley and Ventura County region.