President Bush late last week sent the BRAC commission report to Congress. Apparently, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld decided to accept the commission’s slightly slimmed down version of closure and realignment actions and not recommend that the President send it back to the Commission for rework. Now what? Congress gets to take its formal look. Quite a few lawmakers are very cross about the BRAC actions in their states. They could make real trouble. Congress must reject the report in full, or it automatically becomes law. The deadline: 45 days from Sept. 15.
The "Air Force One" replacement will be two to three years late due to pandemic issues, testing, and the loss of a subcontractor on the interior, USAF officials reported at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. They were also warned that some HASC members will insist on a competition for…