| Washington, DC – Today, Congressman William Jefferson released the following statement in response to the Department of Defense’s announcement that the Naval Support Activity (NSA) – New Orleans, housed in Algiers and Bywater, will be included in this year’s round of base closures:
“I am disappointed with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld’s announcement today that Naval Support Activity – New Orleans will be included in this year’s round of base closures. While some of the NSA workforce will be maintained at the Naval Air Station – New Orleans, in Belle Chasse, an NSA closure would be extremely devastating to our community.
“Although I am not at all pleased with today’s announcement, we must see this is an opportunity to enter into negotiations with the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission and move forward with our proposal for a ‘Federal City’ in Algiers, at the current Naval Support site.
“Since its arrival in 1903, the Naval Support Activity site has been vital to the New Orleans community and the state of Louisiana. The military currently has a $7.8 million impact on the metro New Orleans economy – NSA contributes 4,650 military and civilian jobs and a $142 million payroll. Neither our city nor our state can afford that kind of loss. Consolidation is important to maintaining our military’s effectiveness and efficiency. It is necessary to update our military basing facilities. The ‘Federal City’ will be a state-of-the-art facility that will also house the NSA’s east bank facility, the Coast Guard’s 8th district headquarters, the Army Reserve’s 377th Theater Support Command and perhaps a regional Department of Homeland Security.
“We must also recognize that the possible addition of a regional Department of Homeland Security is a crucial component in our local security that can only complement the current ‘Federal City’ proposal and further boost our local economy by providing much needed jobs.
“I am certain that my colleagues in the Louisiana delegation share my concern about the impact of NSA’s possible closure. The delegation will work together to push the ‘Federal City’ proposal, along with Governor Blanco and local officials, and I am hopeful that the Administration will respond favorably so that we will be able to maintain the military presence that has been so important to our local community and to the nation.” |
