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Republicans want hearings into Vieques decision



By From Kate Snow and Dana Bash
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Top Republicans in Congress called for hearings Thursday on the White House decision to halt bombing exercises on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques in two years.

One GOP aide put it bluntly Thursday: "Congress is mad as hell."

House Armed Services Committee Bob Stump, R-Arizona, called the Navy live-fire training facility "irreplaceable."

"We were a little surprised today on the suddenness of the announcement, and consequently announced that we would have hearings," Stump said.

Virginia Sen. John Warner, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has asked the panel's new chairman, Michigan Democrat Carl Levin, to hold hearings as well. Warner said the administration needs to submit legislation to halt training on the island because current law requires that issue to be decided by a November referendum.

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CNN's Jamie McIntyre reports on Bush's decision to end military exercises in Vieques by 2003 [June 14)

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President Bush said Thursday the U.S. military will end bombing exercises on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques when its arrangement runs out in 2003. The training range has been the subject of protests since a civilian guard was killed by a stray bomb in 1999.

"There's been some harm done to people in the past. These are our friends and neighbors, and they don't want us there," Bush said.

His decision prompted protests on both sides of the congressional aisles: Republicans argued that Vieques was essential to military readiness and Democrats complained the decision does not call for an immediate halt to exercises on the island.

VIDEO
CNN's Maria Hinojosa reports on New York protests against U.S. military exercises in Vieques (June 14)

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"I can tell you that I have talked to the people on the island of Puerto Rico, and they are going to reject any proposal that does not call for the immediate and permanent cessation of all bombing on the island of Vieques," said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois.

Puerto Rico's governor, Sila Calderon, called it a step in the right direction but repeated her demand that live-fire training end immediately.

On Wednesday, Republican aides met with White House officials for a meeting to talk about "options" on the Vieques issue, according to a House Republican aide.

"Everyone thought we were still talking about options," the aide said. "Then a senior [Navy] official called me and said we were 'being sold down the river.' "

Senior advisers said President Bush directed the Navy to come up with a plan that would meet the concerns of the people of Puerto Rico, the majority of whom want the bombing exercises to end. But a senior administration official told CNN the decision was not a "politically mandated solution."

The official said Navy Secretary Gordon England made the decision and presented it to the administration during a meeting Wednesday with Karl Rove, the president's senior political adviser, Stephen Hadley, deputy national Security adviser, and Paul Wolfowitz, deputy defense secretary.

England met individually with several representatives and senators on Wednesday. According to sources, he told the members a decision had not yet been made and that it was his decision, as secretary, to make.

About two hours later, members heard news reports indicating that the White House had, indeed, made a decision. One Republican aide called that "an enormous political blunder."

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, said restrictions on training at Vieques will cost American lives and may have already, citing a March accident during maneuvers in Kuwait that killed six people.

"They were supposed to have trained with live ordnance on Vieques and were not able to do that," Inhofe said. "I have a very serious concern about the recommendation that seems to be coming from the White House and its effect on all the ranges around the world .... We are going to lose other ranges if this range is lost."

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle also said he was "disappointed" that the White House did not consult him, the Hispanic caucus or the governor of Puerto Rico before making the decision.

But Bush called the decision "the right agreement" and said that "within a reasonable period of time," the Navy will find another location for the exercises.





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