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April 15, 2016

GOP Senator Calls for Reopening U.S. Military Base on Puerto Rico's Vieques Island
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Republican Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe has recommended reopening the
U.S. military base on Vieques Island in Puerto Rico as Congress
considers legislation to address Puerto Rico's debt crisis. For decades,
the Navy used nearly three-quarters of Vieques for bombing practice, war
games and dumping old munitions, leading to lasting environmental
damage. The Navy ended training operations in 2003 following a massive
civil disobedience campaign. But speaking this week, Senator Inhofe
suggested reopening the base on Vieques would benefit the U.S. military
and the Puerto Rican economy.

Sen. Jim Inhofe: "I would think that any kind of a deal that is made is
going to have to include consideration for the training that is still
available. I mean, there's still no range like Vieques anywhere in the
Western Hemisphere. What can be done in Vieques cannot be done on one
location by a joint force."

Senator Inhofe is best known for bringing a snowball to the floor of the
Senate in an effort to debunk global warming.
Topics:Puerto Rico

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