Smith eyes BRAC bill

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) will reintroduce a base realignment and closure bill, the congressman's office announced this afternoon.

The "Military Infrastructure Consolidation and Efficiency Act" would provide the Defense Department "with flexibility to consolidate, close, and realign excess military infrastructure so taxpayer resources can be rechanneled to more effectively contribute to the national defense," a statement from his office reads.

"We should not be wasting hard-earned taxpayer money to maintain excess infrastructure that DOD has determined it does not need," Smith said in the statement. "I have long argued that Congress must find the courage to authorize another Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round, and I am pleased that my Armed Services counterparts Senator [Jack] Reed [(D-RI)] and Senator [John] McCain [(R-AZ)] have also said they want to overcome what they call congressional 'cowardice' on this issue. It is time to do what's right for defense and move forward with this process."