U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, D-2nd District, said Wednesday he has introduced a bill to block closure of the Joint Forces Command, and U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., pledged to do the same in the coming days.Both lawmakers said their legislation - if approved - would not permit Defense Secretary Robert Gates to proceed with closing the command, known as JFCOM, until he provides a detailed analysis of the budgetary and military impact and benefits of the shutdown.
"This legislation is going to force Secretary Gates to do what he should have done from the beginning," Nye said in a statement.
Webb said his bill would require Gates to provide "full justification to Congress before any action is taken."
Hampton Roads political and business leaders have been critical of Gates since he announced last month that he would close JFCOM within a year as part of an effort to redirect its budget to other defense areas.
Local leaders, including the congressional delegation, argue that Gates hasn't provided any analysis to back up how the closure would save money or improve defense operations. They also question whether he has the authority to close a command without congressional oversight.The command, with facilities in Norfolk and Suffolk, provides about 6,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue in the region.
