Staff Reports
A dramatic showdown unfolded as House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers threatened to cut all project funds for the permanent headquarters of the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs. This confrontation stems from President Biden's decision to select Colorado over Alabama for the new location, with Rogers, an Alabama Republican, accusing the White House of making a partisan decision without considering cost-effectiveness or military necessity.
During a hearing to investigate Biden's order, Rogers asserted that while the president can express preferences to department personnel, it is Congress that ultimately decides what to authorize and fund. His threat came after Biden disregarded Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall's recommendation and rejected Huntsville, Alabama's Redstone Arsenal as the best choice for the Space Command's headquarters.
Both the Government Accountability Office and the inspector general of the Biden administration's Defense Department affirmed that the decision to locate the Space Command in Alabama was appropriate. Kendall initially recommended moving the provisional headquarters in Colorado Springs to Huntsville, citing potential cost savings of approximately $426 million. However, he now supports Biden's decision to keep the organization in Colorado.
Lawmakers hit Biden over pick of Colorado over Alabama for Space Command headquartershttps://t.co/szO4lTN0rz pic.twitter.com/lomjRk3GwZ
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) September 29, 2023
President Biden played an unusually active role in this military basing decision, invoking his authority as commander in chief and chief executive to make the final determination. Some Republican lawmakers accused the White House of motives such as punishing Alabama for its restrictive abortion laws or seeking retaliation against GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville over a dispute regarding Pentagon abortion policy. However, Biden administration officials denied these allegations.
Army Gen. James Dickinson, the leader of the Space Command, supported Biden's decision, believing it would allow the command to maintain mission readiness with minimal disruption to the force. He expects Space Command to be fully operational in its current location by the end of the year.
Rogers argued that the provisional headquarters in Colorado Springs could fulfill its mission for the next eight years under existing leases. He emphasized the importance of prioritizing preparedness over politics when making significant investments like building a new permanent headquarters.
