Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) announced today that he has successfully included language in the Fiscal Year 2015 Appropriations Bill that will direct the Department of Defense to create an inventory of all overseas military installations and property in an effort to prioritize the closing of overseas bases before any domestic bases.  This report will be used in future Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commissions (BRAC) to evaluate the closing of bases.  Rep. Cuellar included similar language in last year’s Appropriations Omnibus bill, which passed the House in January, 2014. 

“As a representative of Military City USA, I am committed to protecting the civilian and military jobs at the military bases in San Antonio,” said Congressman Cuellar.  “That is why I fought to include language in the Fiscal Year 2015 Appropriations Bill for the second year in a row that would help in the effort to prioritize closing overseas bases before domestic ones.  I thank Chairman Hal Rogers, Ranking Member Nita Lowey, Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Ranking Member of the Defense Subcommittee Pete Visclosky for working with me to secure this language.”

American military forces and installations have a large impact on the economy of our Texas communities.  In Texas there are over 250,000 Department of Defense personnel supporting a total economic output of nearly $149 billion.  In San Antonio alone, our military bases support nearly 300,000 direct and indirect jobs in the surrounding communities, contributing over $46 billion in economic output.

Rep. Cuellar’s language passed out of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and will now be included in the FY15 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill when it heads to the House Floor for a full vote.