Just Not Up to the High Standards Set by Congress

Rep. Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat, knocked both the Pentagon and the BRAC commission—neither of which, he said, “lived up to the high standards that the law set for them.” He criticized DOD for withholding information and in many cases providing data that was “inconsistent, with fumbled numbers and incorrect conclusions.” Skelton singled out the Army and Air Force, in particular, for distorting the process by retiring equipment and recapitalizing infrastructure. The Air Force could have made its changes using existing statutes, he said. Instead, “their inclusion only succeeded in making the BRAC recommendations overly complex and unwieldy.” On a matter of principle, however, Skelton voted to uphold the commission recommendations.