House Democrats see political motive in Air Force decision to base C-130s in Georgia

WASHINGTON — Three high Democrats on the Home Armed Providers Committee are taking the Air Drive to process over a call to base new C-130Js in Georgia, a transfer they contend might affect the state’s upcoming Senate runoff races.

On Nov. 24, the Air Drive chosen 4 Air Nationwide Guard bases to obtain 24 C-130J cargo planes, together with Savannah Air Nationwide Guard Base in Georgia.

However Home Armed Providers Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., raised issues that the Air Drive is “taking part in politics” by saying its choice so near the runoff elections — particularly for the reason that service initially deliberate on choosing solely three areas and Congress has not but funded sufficient plane to be stationed a fourth website.

“On this occasion, the timing and choice to incorporate Savannah, GA within the announcement, when Georgia is targeted on Senate runoff elections, raises questions in regards to the Secretary’s motives,” Smith stated in an announcement.

“The Air Drive didn’t have to make this choice now — plain and easy — and will delay transferring ahead with these basing actions till convention negotiations have concluded and the choice will not be liable to being politicized,” he stated. “If the Air Drive plods forward, the service runs the danger of undermining the strategic basing course of and will power Congress to take motion to guard the basing course of from getting used to probably affect congressional motion or election outcomes.”

Nonetheless, the Air Drive maintains that its choice was motivated by effectivity, not politics.

“For the reason that Air Drive is conscious the Home and Senate variations of the appropriations invoice embody extra C-130Js, the Air Drive can leverage the exhaustive work already completed on the present C-130J basing course of for a fourth location, Savannah Air Nationwide Guard Base,” stated Air Drive spokeswoman Ann Stefanek. “Naming the popular options now permits us to maneuver ahead with the environmental influence course of immediately, enabling the well timed beddown of those C-130Js.”

The Air Drive first notified Congress in March that it deliberate to pick out three Air Nationwide Guard bases to host new C-130J plane.

The service thought of eight installations: Bradley Air Guard Station in Connecticut, Peoria Air Guard Station in Illinois, Louisville Air Guard Base in Kentucky, Nice Falls Air Guard Station in Montana, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Price in Texas, McLaughlin Air Nationwide Guard Base in West Virginia, Cheyenne Air Guard Station in Wyoming, and the Georgia location.

However because the Air Drive neared its choice this fall, sure lawmakers grew involved that the service was not staying true to its choice standards, which might have prioritized bases that might host the plane with out the necessity for costly upgrades.

Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who chairs HASC’s seapower and projection forces subcommittee, stated he shared these issues throughout telephone calls with Air Drive Secretary Barbara Barrett, Air Drive Chief of Employees Gen. Charles Q. Brown, and Air Nationwide Guard director Lt. Gen. Michael Loh.

However the Air Drive ended up selecting Louisville ANGB, McLaughlin ANGB, and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, with eight C-130J plane slated to reach to every base in 2021.

If Congress funds an extra C-130 plane within the fiscal 12 months 2021 funds, these will go Savannah.

“The Air Drive with out the slightest warning added a fourth website, assigning plane not but accepted by Congress to be based mostly in Georgia,” Courtney stated in an announcement. “This shock transfer was by no means as soon as included within the Air Forces basing plans shared with our committee during the last two years, and it taints this course of within the midst of a presidential transition and two particular elections in Georgia. That frankly doesn’t go the odor take a look at.”

Likewise, HASC Readiness Subcommittee Chairman John Garamendi, D-Calif., stated the basing choice not solely “intertwines” with the runoffs however “preempts” ongoing negotiations over the protection appropriations and the annual protection coverage payments. He referred to as for the choice to be reversed and postponed.

“The questionable timing and irregular course of has undermined my confidence that this choice was made objectively and with out political affect,” Garamendi stated in an announcement. “I strongly urge the Air Drive to rescind this choice and delay this announcement till January. Doing so will enable the Air Drive to make its choice till after convention negotiations have been accomplished and take away itself from the Georgia runoffs and different politically charged circumstances.”

Sen. David Perdue, a Georgia Republican whose destiny rests on the outcomes of the runoffs in January, instantly hailed the basing choice and pointed to his personal work attempting to garner extra sources for the state’s army installations, which embody Robins Air Drive Base and Fort Benning.

“That is extraordinarily thrilling information for Savannah’s airmen and the whole coastal group,” stated Perdue, who serves on the Senate Armed Providers Committee. “We’ve made it a high precedence to modernize and improve army tools as a way to protect our aggressive benefit around the globe, and the 165th Airlift Wing is a essential part of that effort.”

Perdue was pressured right into a Jan. 5 runoff with Democrat Jon Ossoff after neither candidate obtained 50 p.c of the vote throughout the elections earlier this month. If each Perdue and the opposite Georgia Senator, Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, fail to win their races, the Democrats could have the 2 seats wanted to clinch management of the Senate