THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, September 9, 1995            TAG: 9509090304
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: FROM WIRE REPORTS 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                         LENGTH: Medium:   74 lines

HOUSE KILLS LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO SPARE BASES, WHICH NOW MUST CLOSE WITHIN 6 YEARS, THE BASES ON THE 1995 LIST MUST BE CLOSED.

The 1995 round of military base closures became official Friday when the House overwhelmingly rejected a last-ditch effort by Californians and Texans to spare their local bases by scrapping the entire list.

The vote was the final step in approving the 1995 base closure round. Within six years, the bases must be closed.

``That was it. It's over now,'' said Rep. Frank Tejeda, D-Texas, who proposed a measure rejecting the base closure list. Lawmakers defeated Tejeda's proposal, effectively approving the closure list, 343-75. House approval sets in motion a slow process by which the military services pack up and close the scores of bases on the list. They must begin within two years and complete the job within six.

In some cases, jobs or individual military members will transfer to other bases. The Pentagon offers an array of programs to help communities find other job-producing uses for closed bases. But overall, the closures will claim thousands of jobs - and save taxpayers billions of dollars.

``We simply cannot afford to keep all the installations and facilities open,'' said Rep. Floyd Spence, R-S.C., chairman of the House National Security Committee.

Predictably, opposition to the closure list came from districts adversely affected by the recommendations of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. But districts helped or not affected by the recommendations far outnumbered those that were.

President Clinton reluctantly accepted the commission list July 13, leaving only a contrary vote by both the House and Senate as the last way of blocking the closures. Senate action is now unnecessary.

In all, the commission recommended closing 79 bases and realigning 26 others, for anticipated savings of $19.3 billion over 20 years. The commission said its closure plan will save $323 million more than Clinton's original proposal.

Nationwide, this fourth round of closures would result in a net loss of 43,742 military and civilian jobs and 49,823 indirect jobs for a total loss of 93,565, the commission estimated. The nationwide impact appears mild in comparison with the Texas and California losses because some base closures will move jobs from one state to another. Oklahoma, Utah and Georgia, for example, stand to gain jobs. MEMO: This story was compiled from The Associated Press and The Los Angeles

Times.

ILLUSTRATION: Graphics

IN VIRGINIA

Close Fort Pickett.

Close Naval Command and Ocean Surveillance Center, Norfolk.

Close Naval Management Systems Support Office, Chesapeake. Some

functions move to Norfolk.

Realign Fort Lee. Reduces Kenner Army Community Hospital to a

clinic; eliminates inpatient services.

HOW THEY VOTED

A yes vote was to reject the list of military base closures and

realignments.

Herbert Bateman, R-Va. No

Owen B. Pickett, D-Va. No

Robert C. Scott, D-Va. No

Norman Sisisky, D-Va. Did not vote

Eva Clayton, D-N.C. No

Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C. No

KEYWORDS: BASE CLOSURE AND REALIGNMENT COMMISSION by CNB