THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 19, 1994 TAG: 9412190035
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DALE EISMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
A quirk in the law governing military base closings is giving the Clinton administration and Congress' new Republican majority extra time to settle on the membership of the bipartisan commission that will order base shutdowns next year.
The composition of the eight-member Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission was expected to be announced by Jan. 3. That's the deadline set by federal law for Clinton to make nominations. Commission members are subject to Senate confirmation.
But the White House, with no public announcement, dispatched a ``dummy'' list of nominees to Capitol Hill on Dec. 1, just hours before Congress prepared to adjourn for the year. The nominations died for lack of action later that day and have never been publicized.
But by sending them, Clinton met the Jan. 3 deadline and apparently gave himself time to deal with House Speaker-elect Newt Gingrich and other GOP leaders over the real nominations. An administration official conceded last week that those selections probably won't be submitted until mid-January.
The commission's makeup could be crucial to the economic future of dozens of military communities like Hampton Roads. It also could determine the success or failure of the administration's plan to generate funds for new weapons systems by trimming unneeded bases.
Since the November election, some victorious Republicans have hinted they will attempt to stop base closings altogether as part of a drive to rebuild a military establishment they say Clinton has cut too deeply.
Rep. Floyd Spence, R-S.C., who will head the House National Security Committee, sponsored legislation this year to stop the 1995 round of closings. It attracted little support, even among Republicans.
Still, Spence may try again now that Republicans have a majority. Craig Smith, the deputy director of presidential personnel, said last week that the administration is ``in the closing stages of negotiations'' with Gingrich, Senate GOP leader Bob Dole and Democratic leaders in both houses over selections to the panel. With Dole and Gingrich on board, a GOP effort to block all confirmations appears less likely.
The GOP takeover of Congress assures that the new commission will be evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. The base closing law requires Clinton to ``consult'' with the majority party leaders on two nominations each, accounting for four of the eight positions. He must consult with the minority leaders on one nomination each and has a free hand to make two selections.
One of the president's picks already has been used. This fall, he tapped former Illinois Sen. Alan J. Dixon to be the commission chairman. Dixon was confirmed by the Senate in October.
The ``dummy'' list of commissioners Clinton sent in December was composed of high-level officials from several federal agencies, including Deputy Defense Secretary John M. Deutch. It also included agriculture undersecretary Robert R. Nash and Joseph E. Stiglitz, an economist and member of Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers.
KEYWORDS: MILITARY BASE CLOSING by CNB