2001 CPEO Military List Archive

From: Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@cpeo.org>
Date: 31 Jul 2001 22:48:50 -0000
Reply: cpeo-military
Subject: [CPEO-MEF] HASC May Try to Reverse Exisitng Language on Vieques
 
This past Sunday residents of Vieques voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Navy leaving their island immediately.  The non-binding referendum gave the citizens three options: 1) that the Navy leave in May of 2003; 2) that the Navy cease bombing and leave immediately; and 3) that the Navy continue to use the island indefinitely.

Option #2 won with 68% of the vote.  Option #3 garnered 30% and option #1 roughly 2%.  This referendum is non-binding and does not take the place of the referendum scheduled for November that is mandated by legislation passed last year. 

In the November referendum there will be only two choices: 1) The Navy must leave by May 2003, and 2) the Navy can continue to use the island to train indefinitely.  If the citizens allow the Navy to stay there is quite a substantial economic incentive built in.  If the citizens vote for the Navy to leave virtually all of Camp Garcia (the area where the live impact area is located) will be turned over to the Department of the Interior with the proviso that DOI may never transfer the lands.

At the moment all of this is may be turned upside down if rumors on Capitol Hill prove to be true.  CPEO has learned that there could be language in the Defense bill markup that (1) effectively repeals the November referendum; (2) states that the Navy may not close the range or leave Vieques until it has an equal or superior site, and (3) states that if the Navy ever does leave Vieques, it must retain administrative jurisdiction over the land in case of later emergency need to use the range.

We have also heard that the members of the Hispanic Caucus are supporting an amendment to strike the language.

The Senate will, of course, have its own bill and the two will have to be reconciled in conference.

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Aimee R. Houghton                                 
Associate Director, CPEO
122 C Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC  20001-2109
tel: 202-662-1888; fax: 202-628-1825
Email: aimeeh@cpeo.org
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