By Eileen Buckley and Benjamin Shaw
Buffalo, NY – US Senator Charles Schumer says it is becoming clearer and clearer that the BRAC recommendations, especially regarding the Air Force, were misguided. He made his comments while appearing in Buffalo Monday.
Senator Schumer says BRAC Commission members have indicated that they believe the Navy and Army recommendations were much better than the Air Force recommendations. Schumer is one of the leaders of the Western New York delegation in Washington that has been battling to keep the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station open. He believes Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is likely to face some tough questions about it.
Schumer says Western New York is far from "home free" in the fight to get the Falls base removed from the list. BRAC members continue holding hearings and pouring over documents as they consider the recommendations. Schumer says it remains an "uphill" fight, but does see a few positive points.
Schumer says he gets "butterflies" in his stomach because he knows how important saving the base is to the region. But the Schumer says he believes they are making progress with their arguments.
Meanwhile, the BRAC Commission is meeting with Pentagon officials about base closings. Click the "listen" icon above to hear a report from WBFO's Capitol News Connection.