Webb bill would demand reason for closing Norfolk command

Credit: LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE/AP

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., wants legislation that would demand a rationale before the closing of the Joint Forces Command.

By: Olympia Meola | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: September 15, 2010

Sen. Jim Webb, D-VA, said today that he plans to introduce legislation to require the secretary of defense to provide full justification to Congress before action starts to close the Norfolk-based U.S. Joint Forces Command.

"This is fully consistent with Congress’s constitutional oversight responsibility as we work to improve our military’s joint warfare capabilities and operations,” he said in a statement.

Webb, an Armed Services Committee member, and other Virginia lawmakers have been fighting Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' recommendation to close the command, which could lead to thousands of jobs lost. Gov. Bob McDonnell convened a commission to devise a strategy to keep the command, and the state's congressional delegation has been challenging the decision.

“Today I have again called on the White House to refrain from making a final decision on the future of the U.S. Joint Forces Command until Congress has satisfactorily obtained a firm understanding of the process by which Secretary of Defense Gates arrived at his recommendation," Webb said.

Congressional delegation members have been frustrated trying to get answers out of Defense staffers on the reasoning behind the recommended closing of the Norfolk command.

Last week, staff for several Virginia congressmen met with defense officials in Washington, and were given no tangible justifications for the proposal, according to the office of Rep. Glenn Nye, D-2nd, instead describing Gates’ decision as "philosophical" and "conceptual."

“Any proposal to close or realign the command should be guided by a clear process and analytical basis that everyone can understand," Webb said.