THE DAILY FED
Cohen: More Bases Must Close
Defense Secretary William Cohen says that further rounds of military base closings are inevitable.
"There will have to be more rounds, period," Cohen said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Four previous rounds of closings have shut down 98 military bases. Cohen said this summer that two additional rounds could generate $2.7 billion in additional savings, money that Defense Department leaders say they need for weapons modernization.
Cohen acknowledged in the AP interview that members of Congress will fight hard against further base shutdowns. But he said, "Once you can demonstrate, case by case, by showing those facilities that have been closed and been converted to commercial use (where) jobs are not only restored but actually increased, then I think you can make a case a lot easier."
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