Protecting South Carolina's military facilities from next year's round of federal closings is high on the list of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's priorities this year as he heads into a new session of Congress.

"We've been talking about (2005 base closures) for a while, but now 2005 is next year," the Republican legislator said during a Friday press conference in front of his Beaufort district office on Port Republic Street.

Along with supporting the president's war on terrorism and making the last two rounds of federal tax cuts permanent, Wilson said a top issue for the second session of the 108th Congress, which begins Jan. 20, will be supporting the state's military facilities.

"Whatever it takes, we'll be assisting," he said. "This has to be a team effort."

While the congressman wasn't clear on how he'd be able to help the military's cause from Washington, D.C., he promised to defend the bases the best he could.

"We need to be prepared to promote the bases," he said. "We need to be vigilant."

The Department of Defense is expected to release its list of recommended closings in May 2005.

While Wilson said he hopes the closing process would add squadrons to the state's military fleet, he acknowledged the risk that some local bases could be closed.

Beaufort County's three military facilities contribute about $454.4 million to the county's annual economy while statewide the military's presence contributes more than $5 billion to the state economy, according to studies done by Georgia Southern University and the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

With the recent capture of Saddam Hussein and the ongoing struggle in Iraq, Wilson said he's serving the residents of Beaufort County during a critical time when the country's military should be praised for its efforts.

"This is a historic time and I give so much credit to our military," he said, adding that work remains to rebuild Iraq. "We have to build a civil society in Iraq so it's not a breeding ground for terrorists."

Wilson also said he'll spend the coming year fighting to solidify President Bush's tax cuts, which he applauded as the key to a strengthening economy.

Also on Wilson's list of priorities for the upcoming congressional session are:

A bill to enhance the National Guard system in each state;

A bill to forgive more than $17,000 in student loans for teachers willing to work in Title 1 schools, or those serving high percentages of poor students; and

To reign in excessive federal credit card spending, which the congressman said leads to $20 billion in wasteful spending annually.