Congressman Harold Ford today offered an amendment in the House Budget Committee to stop the military base closures proposed by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). The BRAC Commission has recommended closing military installations around the country, including drastic cuts to Nashville's 118th Airlift Wing of the Tennessee National Guard. In a statement Congressman Ford said:"America must not close the valuable military bases that are supporting our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. This entire process needs to be postponed until we can ensure these closures do not weaken our military in a time of war."
"It is particularly alarming that BRAC would target the 118th Airlift Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard. These men and women not only support our military operations abroad, they are also essential responders to natural disasters at home. All of Tennessee was proud to send the 118th to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, flying more than 100 missions to assist in the relief efforts. We need to keep the 118th open and postpone BRAC to keep all Tennesseans safe."
Congressman Ford offered the amendment to the Republican Budget Resolution during the House Budget Committee markup.
Read Congressman Ford's amazing record on defending our nation's veterans here!
