Congressman Says Changes in Committee Markup Would Protect Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) welcomed the inclusion of new language in the National Defense Authorization Act which would prohibit a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round in 2017.
“The future of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is too important to this community and this country,” said Higgins, a member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs. “This change once fully implemented and approved, would protect the base from the immediate risk of closure and allow us to refocus on continued support for efforts to sustain and grow the mission right here in Niagara Falls.”
The Department of Defense, in the proposed budget for 2016, is requesting a new BRAC round in 2017, a process that threatens the future of military bases across the country including the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in Western New York.
The House of Representatives Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness this week released proposed changes to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would prohibit another BRAC. The Subcommittee met yesterday, April 22 at 4:00pm to discuss the legislation and proposed changes. The subcommittee approved the changes and sent the markup to the full committee for consideration. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSx035-ScQQ
The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station was among the sites listed on the closure list during the last round of Base Realignment and Closures in 2005. Following staunch opposition from the community, Congressman Higgins and the entire Western New York delegation, the BRAC commission voted to save the Niagara Falls base.
According to a 2012 report, prepared by the Niagara County Department of Economic Development, the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station employs over 2,600 individuals and has a total annual economic impact of more than $200 million.
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