Bush used the unusual tactic to circumvent opposition from Mississippi Republican Sen. Trent Lott, who had blocked an earlier vote on Bush's pick to head the commission and objected to base closures while U.S. troops are engaged overseas.

The president's move means Hansen, a champion of Hill Air Force Base during his 11 terms in Congress, is officially a member of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

Although Hansen has said in the past that he would vote to close Hill if it was the right thing to do, Utah supporters of the base have said that having Hansen on the panel means that they will be guaranteed a fair and informed consideration of the Air Force base's value to the military.

The president used his authority to make “recess appointments,” which allows him to fill vacancies such as judgeships or other executive offices, while Congress is not in session. Congress recessed for the Easter holiday and will return this week.

The commission would otherwise have needed the approval of Senate, where Lott could have stymied the process.

In May, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will recommend which bases should be closed or realigned. He had previously said as many as a 20 percent to 25 percent of the nations' military bases could be closed, but said last week the figure likely won't reach 20 percent.

The commission will spend six months visiting each base on the list before sending its final report to Bush in September. It cannot be changed, although the president or the Senate can reject the entire report.

Bush has selected former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi to lead the commission.

The other members named are former Nevada Rep. James Bilbray; former Assistant Defense Secretary Philip Coyle; former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Harold Gehman Jr.; former Southern Command combatant commander Gen. James Hill; retired Lt. Gen. Claude Kicklighter; former Transportation Secretary and White House Chief of Staff Samuel Skinner; and Brig. Gen. Sue Ellen Turner.