Defense lobbyists mobilize for Obama administration’s round of base closures
Kevin Bogardus
The Hill
February, 2012
A specialized corps of defense lobbyists is springing into action ahead of President Obama’s expected request for a new round of military base closures.
Lobbyists with experience in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process expect an influx of new business when the White House details the proposal in its official budget request to Congress on Feb. 13.
The BRAC process presents a high degree of difficulty for lobbyists because it requires exhaustive knowledge of the armed services, Capitol Hill and the communities affected.
“There is a level of expertise with this. You have to know the communities and understand what they need,” said Cece Siracuse, a senior associate at Hurt, Norton & Associates who headed up congressional affairs for the 1995 BRAC Commission.
Under BRAC, an independent panel of nine commissioners is tasked with recommending which military bases should be closed to increase efficiency. The process can be nerve-wracking for communities near defense installations, which stand to lose jobs if their local bases gets the ax.
Siracuse said lobbyists can help protect a base, but it’s crucial for a community to get involved as well.
“As a lobbyist, we can be value-added. But a community’s best asset will be the retired officers or community members who have an expertise with that base, who live there and are in touch with those that are active,” Siracuse said.
