Alabama lawmaker blames ‘far-left’ politics for SPACECOM HQ decision

WASHINGTON — Alabama Republican and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said the White House’s decision to base U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado rather than in his home state was “driven by far-left politics, not national security.”

Rogers said in a July 31 statement that while the White House has approved a location, “the fight” for the future home of Space Command “is far from over.”

“I will continue to hold the Biden administration accountable for their egregious political meddling in our national security,” he said.

After a years-long process, the U.S. Defense Department said July 31 President Biden approved Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs as the headquarters location for the newest combatant command, following reports from the Associated Press that the White House had abandoned a 2021 decision to base Space Command in Huntsville, Alabama.

The decision, according to the Pentagon, has support from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Space Command head Gen. James Dickinson and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who led the basing process.

Contrary to Rogers’ concerns about the decision impairing national security, the department said the move “ensures peak readiness” across the space enterprise.

“Locating headquarters U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs ultimately ensures peak readiness in the space domain for our nation during a critical period,” the Department of Defense said in a statement. “It will also enable the command to most effectively plan, execute and integrate military spacepower into multi-domain global operations.”

The question of where Space Command headquarters will ultimately be located had been unresolved since former president Donald Trump announced in 2018 he would reinstate the organization. In 2021, Trump selected Huntsville to host the command in a move that triggered accusations of political meddling from the Colorado congressional delegation.

Those lawmakers, including Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-CO, called for the DoD inspector general and the Government Accountability Office to review the decision.

Both watchdog organizations found last year that while the basing process had its flaws — including a lack of transparency and credibility — the Air Force followed the law in choosing Alabama as its preferred location for U.S. Space Command. However, the service continued to review the findings and conduct its own analysis of the process.

Rogers has been critical of Pentagon’s drawn-out headquarters selection process, telling Defense News in early July he would delay approval of routine DoD requests to shift funding among accounts due to the stalled decision process.

Following the White House’s announcement, he said he will continue an investigation he initiated earlier this summer to determine whether the Biden administration “intentionally misled” lawmakers about their basing process.

Meanwhile, Colorado lawmakers praised the decision.

“This decision aligns with the best military advice of countless senior military leaders who all agree that Peterson Space Force Base is the most viable option for USSPACECOM to reach full operational capability the fastest and is the best permanent home for its long-term operations,” Lamborn said in a statement.

Senators Michael Bennet, D-CO, and John Hickenlooper, D-CO, said in a joint statement the White House’s decision “restores integrity to the Pentagon’s basing process.”

“After two investigations and rigorous review by the Department of Defense, the administration has made the decision that’s in our country’s best interest,” Hickenlooper said.

Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.

华盛顿——阿拉巴马州共和党人、众议院军事委员会主席迈克·罗杰斯表示，白宫决定将美国太空司令部总部设在科罗拉多州而不是他的家乡阿拉巴马州，是“出于极左政治而非国家安全考虑”。

罗杰斯在 7 月 31 日的一份声明中表示，虽然白宫已经批准了一个地点，但“太空司令部未来所在地的争夺战”远未结束。

他说：“我将继续追究拜登政府对我国国家安全进行恶劣政治干预的责任。”

经过多年的努力，美国国防部于7月31日表示，拜登总统已批准将科罗拉多州斯普林斯的彼得森太空部队基地作为最新作战司令部的总部所在地。此前，美联社报道称，白宫放弃了2021年将太空司令部设在阿拉巴马州亨茨维尔的决定。

据五角大楼称，该决定得到了国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀、太空司令部司令詹姆斯·迪金森将军和领导基地选址工作的空军部长弗兰克·肯德尔的支持。

与罗杰斯对该决定损害国家安全的担忧相反，该部门表示，此举“确保了整个航天事业的最佳战备状态”。

美国国防部在一份声明中表示：“将美国太空司令部总部设在科罗拉多斯普林斯，最终将确保我国在关键时期保持太空领域的最佳战备状态。这也将使该司令部能够最有效地规划、执行军事太空力量，并将其整合到多域全球行动中。”

自前总统唐纳德·特朗普2018年宣布将恢复太空司令部以来，其总部最终选址的问题一直悬而未决。2021年，特朗普选择亨茨维尔作为太空司令部的所在地，此举引发了科罗拉多州国会代表团对其政治干预的指责。

包括科罗拉多州共和党众议员道格·兰伯恩在内的这些议员呼吁国防部监察长和政府问责局审查该决定。

去年，两个监督机构均发现，虽然基地选址过程存在缺陷——包括缺乏透明度和公信力——但空军在选择阿拉巴马州作为美国太空司令部的首选地点时，遵循了法律。然而，空军仍在继续审查调查结果，并对选址过程进行自身分析。

罗杰斯一直批评五角大楼冗长的总部遴选过程。他在 7 月初告诉《防务新闻》，由于决策过程停滞不前，他将推迟批准国防部例行的资金转移申请。

在白宫宣布这一消息后，他表示将继续今年夏天早些时候启动的调查，以确定拜登政府是否“故意误导”了议员们关于基地选址程序的问题。

与此同时，科罗拉多州的立法者们对这一决定表示赞赏。

兰伯恩在一份声明中表示：“这一决定符合无数高级军事领导人的最佳军事建议，他们一致认为，彼得森太空部队基地是美国太空司令部最快达到全面作战能力的最佳可行选择，也是其长期行动的最佳永久驻地。”

科罗拉多州民主党参议员迈克尔·贝内特和约翰·希肯卢珀在一份联合声明中表示，白宫的决定“恢复了五角大楼基地选址过程的完整性”。

希肯卢珀说：“经过国防部的两次调查和严格审查，本届政府做出了符合我们国家最大利益的决定。”

Courtney Albon是C4ISRNET的太空和新兴技术记者。自2012年以来，她一直报道美国军方新闻，重点关注空军和太空军。她曾报道过国防部一些最重要的采购、预算和政策挑战。