Mike Rogers says committee “will examine the striking irregularities” in handling of United States Space Command Headquarters
The House Armed Services Committee is holding hearings on Thursday into what went into the decision to reverse course and take the award of Space Command from Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, and instead leave it in Colorado Springs even though the Air Force’s dissatisfaction with Colorado Springs precipitated the search for a new location in the first place. The committee is chaired by Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Alabama). Rogers said in his opening statement on Thursday that the Committee “will examine irregularities” in how the Biden administration handled the Space Command relocation. “Today we will examine the striking irregularities in the Biden Administration’s handling of United States Space Command (SPACECOM) Headquarters,” Chairman Rogers said. “Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has chosen to play politics with our national security. After a long and competitive national process, Huntsville, Alabama, was selected as the best location to host United States Space Command or SPACECOM.” “Huntsville beat out, in order: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Bellevue, Nebraska; San Antonio, Texas; and in fifth place, Colorado Springs, Colorado,” Rogers continued. “Since the end of that competition, which was validated by both the GAO and the Biden DoD IG, individuals within the Air Force and the Biden Administration have attempted to circumvent the results and place SPACECOM in Colorado Springs in the name of readiness.” “This is not, and has never been, about readiness,” Rep. Rogers said. “General [Chance] Saltzman, the general officer with day-to-day responsibility for the readiness of more than 90% of SPACECOM’s assigned forces, says, “It is my belief that the permanent location of USSPACECOM headquarters will not impact the readiness of U.S. Space Force forces.”” “General [James] Dickinson has stated that Colorado Springs is the “unmatched” choice for recruiting civilians to work at SPACECOM,” Rogers argued. “Yet, he’s currently using over 360 contractors to fill civilian staffing shortfalls.” Rogers claims the decision to keep Space Command at Colorado Springs will cost taxpayers $426 million more than Huntsville, Alabama, for headquarters operations over the next 15 years. “Hundreds of millions of dollars in readiness lost just so the President can try to endear himself to a purple state prior to next year’s election,” Rogers stated. Rogers accused the Air Force and the White House of “a string of delays and fuzzy math with one goal: White-wash this Administration’s decision to disregard the outcome of a competitive and deliberate selection process that Alabama won.” Rogers said he can show through his investigation that “SPACECOM has already spent over $127 million in Colorado. Including tens of millions of dollars to put up to 800 of our most critical space warfighting decision-makers in an abandoned, 41-year-old factory. Not on a military base, but nine and a half miles away from the base. Not in a secure area. An industrial building next to a middle school, around the corner from an apartment complex, and across the street from a neighborhood. This LEASED space had no proper fence, obsolete security systems, and inadequate facilities to handle the highly classified systems our space capabilities rely on.” “Documents obtained by the committee show that Colorado Springs is out of space and out of infrastructure despite this spending spree,” Rogers continued. “Sensitive equipment is running in buildings without proper backup power, and there is already a massive office space shortfall on the bases in the Colorado Springs area.” “There is no justification for these actions except political considerations,” Rogers said. “It is indefensible to turn the fifth-place finisher into the winner of this basing competition.” After the hearing, Rogers said on X, “In the @HASCRepublicans hearing today, it became obvious that the Biden Administration’s cited “military readiness” concerns are a total fabrication. I am demanding that the DoD Inspector General investigate this heinous meddling in a valid military process.” Members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation insist that the fight for Space Command is not over, even though it increasingly appears unlikely that the Biden Administration will admit their error. Rogers is in his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Dale Strong insists that the fight for Space Command Headquarters is not over
In July, President Joe Biden made the decision to override military planners and the nonpartisan process that decided that national security would be better served by relocating Space Command headquarters (SPACECOM) from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Red Stone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. On Thursday, Congressman Dale Strong (R-AL05) sent an email to constituents saying that this fight is not over. There will be a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Space Command Commander General James Dickinson, and Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman will have to testify before the Committee on the Space Command basing decision. “I’m excited to tell you that the next steps related to Space Command are starting to materialize,” Rep. Strong said. “I am fighting the Biden Administration’s corruption and reckless spending from all angles, and President Biden’s decision to award Space Command to the blue state of Colorado is no different.” “Following the July announcement from the White House that the President decided to keep Space Command in Colorado, I sent Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) a letter requesting the committee bring Secretary Kendall and General Dickinson to testify “at the earliest opportunity” regarding the basing decision,” Strong continued. “I am writing today to let you know that Chairman Rogers has agreed with my request, and announced a hearing in the House. I wasn’t kidding when I said this is far from over. Our next step is to bring these military leaders before the Committee to answer questions under oath.” “The findings of the Defense Department’s robust basing process, and two separate and independent investigations supporting the Department’s initial selection of Redstone, were completely ignored when the fifth best location in Colorado was chosen to host the Space Command headquarters,” Strong stated. “The way the Biden administration and Department of Defense leadership has handled the Space Command situation is something that should worry every American. Inserting pure politics into the Defense Department’s basing process does untold damage to our national security, threatens the credibility of the DOD, and sets a dangerous precedent for all future military decisions. I’ve certainly got a lot of questions I’m ready to ask, and I hope you will tune in.” “In May, I opened a Congressional investigation into the Biden administration’s shameful delay to finalize the permanent basing decision for U.S. Space Command,” Rep. Rogers said. “When the Secretary of the Air Force finally made a decision, he upheld his predecessors’ decision to base U.S. Space Command in Huntsville, Alabama. President Biden then usurped the Air Force Secretary’s authority and named Colorado Springs the permanent basing site for U.S. Space Command in order to improve his political standing for next year’s re-election.” “I have invited Secretary Kendall, General Dickinson, and General Saltzman to testify to the House Armed Services Committee in a public hearing,” Rogers explained. “We will get answers on President Biden’s political manipulation of the selection process.” Strong is serving in his first term representing Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District. He previously served the people of Madison County as head of the County Commission. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
