
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 9, 1994                    TAG: 9406090026 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A14    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Short 
DATELINE: 940609                                 LENGTH:

PLAYING POLITICS WITH BASE CLOSINGS

{LEAD} First the U.S. Supreme Court, on May 23, and then the U.S. House of Representatives, on May 24, beat back attempts to impede the process that Congress created to identify and close unneeded military bases. But some senators - Democrats and Republicans - are mobilizing for another assault.

They should fail, even though Hampton Roads military installations are in the line of fire. World War II and the Cold War have burdened the Pentagon with a huge surplus of bases that must go.

{REST} The Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Sen. Arlen J. Specter's lawsuit designed to draw the federal courts into crippling the closure process - specifically to save the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

The non-partisan Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC), established by Congress, had included the shipyard on a list of installations to be closed. President Bush accepted the list. Congress did not reject it. So it took effect.

Mr. Specter contended in court that the Navy suppressed data favorable to the shipyard, leading BRAC to place it on the closure list without adequate information. But the high court declined to enter the fray.

And rightly so. But now a Senate minority is trying to do what the House overwhelmingly refused to do: Postpone the next round of BRAC closings until 1997, to reduce political hazards to incumbents seeking re-election in 1996.

Republican Sens. Phil Gramm of Texas and John McCain of Arizona are standing firm for the BRAC process. Most of the Senate should stand with them.

by CNB