On Tuesday, Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) announced that he has been able to secure language halting the development of the U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) in Colorado until an official basing decision has been made.
“Now more than ever, the establishment of a permanent Space Command Headquarters remains vital to our national security,” said Rep. Aderholt. “The language incentivizes the Secretary of the Air Force to determine the permanent headquarters location as quickly as possible.”
“In this matter, timeliness remains of the utmost importance,” Aderholt continued. “I urge the Department to move the headquarters to its preferred permanent location as quickly as possible; however, if the Administration continues to delay, I am relieved that General (James H.) Dickinson, the SPACECOM Commander, last week assured the Alabama Delegation that he had no national security concerns about moving the headquarters.”
The bipartisan language is included in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs fiscal year 2024 spending bill, following a review and approval by the United States Air Force.
During the Trump administration, the Air Force held a national search for a permanent home for Space Command. Dozens of sites across the country were considered for a multitude of factors. Two different evaluations found that Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville was the best possible site. Nebraska came in second, followed by San Antonio, Texas. Colorado, where Space Command is presently, came in fourth. A review by the inspector general found that the decision to locate SPACECOM in Huntsville was the correct decision and was not tainted by politics.
“The fact is, Air Force already made the correct decision well over two years ago,” said Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03). That decision was affirmed by the GAO and the DoD Inspector General over a year ago. This decision was based on multiple factors, and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, was the clear winner in the Evaluation and Selection phase. I am deeply concerned that the continued delays in making this move final are politically motivated and damaging to our national security.”
Over 24 months later, no action has been taken to relocate SPACECOM. A recent report by NBC News claims that the White House may halt plans to move Space Command. The report cites Alabama’s restrictive abortion law. Alabama’s congressional delegation, however, points to the fact that Colorado voted for President Joe Biden while Alabama voted to keep President Donald Trump.
The SPACECOM basing decision remains a responsibility of the Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, a decision delegated by the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense.
“As we take this step, I would like to thank the Alabama delegation for their commitment to this fight,” said Aderholt. “We all know that Space Command belongs in the Rocket City.”
According to a June 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the decision-making process that the Air Force used to decide to move Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Alabama had “significant shortfalls in its transparency and credibility.”
“Over the past year, we’ve repeatedly raised concerns that the previous administration used a flawed, untested, and inconsistent process to select a location for U.S. Space Command. The reports from the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Defense Inspector General both confirm that the basing process lacked integrity and neglected key national security considerations,” Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Reps. Doug Lamborn and Jason Crow said in a joint statement.
Additionally, legislators from Colorado argue that the decision to move Space Command was politically motivated, arguing that former President Trump indicated that he would decide the 2020 election.
AL.com reported in 2021 that during an interview on the Rick & Bubba show, Trump stated, “Space force – I sent to Alabama. I hope you know that. (They) said they were looking for a home, and I single-handedly said, ‘Let’s go to Alabama.’ They wanted it. I said let’s go to Alabama. I love Alabama.”
Robert Aderholt is in his 14th term representing Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District. He is an attorney and was formerly counsel for Alabama Governor Fob James. He is a native of Haleyville.
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