Delegation rehearses appeal to BRAC

Maine Gov. John Baldacci and members of the congressional delegations from Maine and New Hampshire made a dry run Monday of the presentation they’ll make to a base closing commission, focusing on the importance of keeping Portsmouth Naval Shipyard open.

The dress rehearsal in Washington, D.C., included Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen of Maine, and Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu and Reps. Jeb Bradley and Charles Bass of New Hampshire.

“With the regional hearing just over one week away, we are fine-tuning our arguments for our presentation to the BRAC Commission,” the group said in a statement.

Additional hearings with Baldacci and Maine’s congressional delegation were scheduled for later in the week to refine arguments regarding Maine’s Brunswick Naval Air Station and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service center in Limestone.

The Pentagon wants to close the shipyard and DFAS and remove all aircraft and half of the military personnel from the Navy air station.

The public hearing focusing on New England bases that would be closed or realigned under the Pentagon proposal will be held July 6 in Boston.

Nationwide, the plan announced by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would close 33 major bases and downsize 29 others, saving an estimated $48 billion over 20 years.

The base closing commission must create its own list of recommendations and give them to President Bush by Sept. 8. Bush then has two weeks to accept the list, ask the commission for revisions or reject it.