. >> as part of the work on the debt commission, judd gregg has said about brac, base alignment. do you support that? >> i don't think it will produce where we are actually increasing the size of our military. in that setting -- if we were downsizing, it's a lot easier to do. i don't see we have healed very much. >> you mentioned don't ask-don't tell, does the senate has the votes to pass it. >> we have the votes to people who want to strike it. we can pass the bill, a modest provision. it's a provision which doesn't repeal it. if you strip away all of the complexity, authorizes the defense department to repeal it. right now we have the don't ask-don't tell policy in law as well as in regulation. so in order for the defense department to change the policy, we've got to remove the legal impediment to that change, which i hope we'll do subject to, as you know, a report which will come by the end of the year which has to be certified by the defense leaders as showing that there will be no negative impact on morale or the readiness of the force. i just heard of some polls that were t

who lives there and we're very close to ford mead including the national security agency enhanced by brac that's coming in here with three major organizations and soon to follow the cyber command which will dwarf and probably surpass the bracket to me it is a place where the vacancy rate for commercial real estate has gone down from sixteen percent to twelve percent even residential real estate here is heading in the same direction setting it apart from much of the rest of the country howard county is not a proposer market we're seeing one real estate broker reporting that he's team is selling over one hundred homes a month the unemployment rate here is about five percent contrast this with the country's average unemployment rate of nine point five percent or perhaps the worst in the country the pine ridge indian reservation in south dakota where unemployment is at about eighty percent or is palmdale california a once thriving suburb now filled with scenes like this homes once occupied now empty once cared for lawns overgrown and those who remained have strong opinions about lawmakers in

cleanup projects from previous brac rounds. this funding is essential to communities across the country including the towns of brunswick and topsome in my district which are already experiencing economic difficulties from the closing of brunswick naval air station. we must do everything we can to support the communities that the brac bases leave behind. while the investments in military construction are vital, they are only a small portion of this bill. the vast majority of legislation is devoted to veterans programs. the bill provides the necessary funding for veterans' medical care, claims processors, and facility improvements, including increased funding for mental health services, assistance programs for homeless veterans, and innovative services for veterans in rural areas. the military construction projects in this bill are vital to ensure that the missions of each installation are carried out in a most efficient manner possible. one great example of the funding contained in this bill is the funding contained in this bill

opend brac it cheers and applause] -- [cheers and applause] hello, nevada! >> si, se puede!it is good to be back in vegas. [cheers and applause] . this is a pretty good crowd. i know you are disappointed that i am not singing tonight. [laughter] [cheers] listen, i love being in vegas again. [applause] i love this town. maybe not as much as my singing. for some reason, every time we come here, air force one is a little more crowded. [laughter] i am seeing people in the couches. >> [unintelligible] >> i love you back. i love you back. there are a couple of other people i want to mention. congresswoman dina titus is in the house. [cheers and applause] love her. the secretary of state ross miller is in the house. [years and applause] one of my earliest supporters, not just here in nevada, but all across the country, state senate majority leader stephen schwartz men is in the house -- shortened -- schwartzman is in the house. state speaker -- speaker of the state assembly barbara boxer lee is -- barbara buckley is here. give it up for the killers. [cheers and applause] these guys

. >> reporter: wayne newton keeps his memories of the old days, 50 years of bric-a-brac, in one roomok a beer opener in front of the entire audience and signed it. now don't bother me anymore. >> reporter: but there are also reminders of his serious work. he is the celebrity face of the uso and their frequent flyer to overseas bases. >> isn't that fabulous. i love your accent. >> reporter: of course, the voice isn't what it used to be. but what is after 50 years of hard work? people have made a lot of jokes about him. he's laughed at some of them. but not all of them. wayne newton has a memory that is long and can be unforgiving towards people he thinks have done him wrong. insult him and he will not turn the other cheek. he will not let it go. and there will be no more mr. nice guy from mr. las vegas. when johnny carson started doing gaiman jokes about him, newton confronted him face to face. >> i said, okay. i'm here to find out what your problem is. because the kind of humor you're doing about me, pal, nobody does. i'll knock you on your ass. >> reporter: you said that to johnny c

at under intelligence at quantico, the support agency at fort meade all came about because of the brac grounds. what the business case was is that we got out of leased facilities which overtime cost more than a government-owned facility, not to mention the quality of life working conditions that will demonstratively improved for nga. >> it is my understanding that a contractor cost virtually double what a government employee does and has cost that. we have set as a mark and% reduction per year. -- 10% reduction per year. i don't know that is achievable. i know the cia has tried to be 5%. what is your view on this as to what would be a practical and achievable number to aim for the reduction of contractors, assuming there 20% to 30% of the entire work force today? >> and 20 to try to come up with some organizing principles -- i think we need to try to come up with organizing principles about where they are and where they are not. since there are wide variances in terms of percentage and prevalence of contractors in various parts of the community. in the case of the services, except for

their latest round of brac decision -- the commission decisions, they removed the squad's fighter mission but they remain stationed at willow grove, pennsylvania, and will continue to serve our nation. to quote the resolution before us, quote, members of the 111th fighter wing of pennsylvania national guard have served with courage, selflessness and compassion in every war they have been asked to fulfill and have earned the respect and gratitude of the citizens of pennsylvania and of all americans. i appreciate the bipartisan support for resolution 1411 and thank the members of the 111th fighter wing. i have met many of them who currently serve in the 111th fighter wing for their dedication, honor, service and sacrifice to this country. and i yield become. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from texas. mr. conaway: madam speaker, we have no further speakers. i ask my colleagues to support this resolution, honoring the 111th fighter wing pennsylvania air national guard. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the