WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush on Tuesday nominated eight people with ties to defense to serve on the commission charged with closing U.S. military bases.

The president previously nominated former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi to lead the nine-member independent commission.

Maine’s congressional delegation had lobbied Bush to ensure that at least one of the nine members was from New England, but the list of nominees included no one from the region.

Congress authorized the fifth round of closures last year. If confirmed by the Senate, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission will review a list of closures the Pentagon must propose by May.

Maine political leaders have been fighting to preserve two large installations: the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery and the Brunswick Naval Air Station.

The president nominated:

-James H. Bilbray of Nevada, a former Army reservist and a former congressman who served on international relations, armed services and intelligence committees.

-Philip Coyle of California, a senior adviser to the Center for Defense Information and a former assistant defense secretary.

-Harold W. Gehman Jr. of Virginia, a retired Navy admiral and former NATO supreme allied commander.

-James V. Hansen of Utah, a Navy veteran and former congressman who served on the armed services committee.

-James T. Hill of Florida, a retired Army general and former combatant commander of the U.S. Southern Command.

-Claude M. Kicklighter of Georgia, a retired Army lieutenant general and the assistant secretary for policy and planning at the Veterans Affairs Department.

-Samuel Knox Skinner of Illinois, a former Army reservist and one-time chief of staff and secretary of transportation under President George H.W. Bush.

-Sue Ellen Turner of Texas, a retired Air Force brigadier general who is a member of the American Battle Monuments Commission.