Washington, DC -- The Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) today began its final deliberations on the Department of Defense’s proposed list of installation closures and realignments. Following is a statement by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.):

“The BRAC Commission’s votes today lead me to believe that so far California as a whole remains in a good position compared to prior base closure rounds.

I was pleased to learn that one of the most significant proposed closures in California, the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Corona, was taken out of consideration. This represents more than 800 jobs that would have been relocated. These are some of the highest paying jobs in Riverside County.

The Commission also decided not to add the Navy Broadway Complex in San Diego to the BRAC list, provided that the Navy and City of San Diego work out a development agreement by January 1, 2007. This is what the city and the Navy both wanted. It provides for the continuing redevelopment of San Diego’s downtown waterfront, as well as for a new headquarters for the Navy’s southwest region.

I applaud all of California’s leaders who have helped fight base closures in the State.

I remain concerned about the votes on vital military bases in California such as the Naval Postgraduate School and the Defense Language Institute in Monterey. My staff and I will continue to closely monitor the Commission’s deliberations over the next few days. We will also continue to advocate for the protection of California’s bases.”

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