Nunes has placed himself firmly in the middle of negotiations between the U.S. and Portuguese governments over the future of Lajes Air Base on the island of Terceira in the Azores. Since 2009, the Obama administration has had plans to reduce U.S. personnel at the air base, but has encountered strong opposition from the Portuguese government for a host of reasons, including future costs to the host government. Nunes, believing he is acting in U.S. interests, has blocked the Pentagon from implementing the plan. There are 650 military personnel and family members at the base. The Pentagon plan would reduce that number to some 150. Nunes' plans for the Azores would actually increase U.S. personnel. He is also proposing relocating Africa Command and European Command intelligence centers to the Azores, also contrary to plans by Pentagon and NATO to create a larger intelligence "fusion" facility in Britain. Nunes' plan would locate 1,000 intelligence personnel to the Azores. He maintains that this would save the U.S. money because cost of living and construction costs are less in the Azores than the U.K.[55] The Pentagon has a very different view; writing, for example, on one of their websites, officials report, "Moving to Lajes Field is very expensive and living is expensive as well." Officials have also criticized the weather in the Azores, which only adds to the controversy of moving intelligence personnel to the U.K., a country not known for ideal weather conditions.[56]

Nunes' family emigrated from the Azores to California. [57]

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