Weeks of partisan sniping between states bidding to be the permanent home of US Space Command is intensifying as Alabama lawmakers use their clout to secure the headquarters’ relocation to their state.
In an effort to persuade the service into completing the change, senior Alabama Republicans on the House Armed Services and Appropriations committees this week attached provisions to Pentagon spending and policy bills that freeze funding for construction and even limit travel funds for top Air Force officials.
Battle for US Space Command Permanent Home Intensifies
The command will become fully operational sooner if it remains at its interim headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs than if it moves to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, according to Colorado lawmakers, who are expected to oppose plans from Rogers and others.
The shift to Alabama would affect the day-to-day operations of Space Command, according to Rep. Doug Lamborn, a prominent Armed Services Republican whose district includes Colorado Springs. Lamborn requested for the clause to be removed from the defense policy measure.
It’s the most recent development in one of the most acrimonious intra-party disputes on Capitol Hill, in which the governors of Colorado and Alabama accuse one, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump accuse one another of politicizing the future of a significant four-star command, and there is resentment on all sides over the Air Force’s more than five-month delay in making a final decision.
The Biden administration started its own investigation into the choice as soon as it took office. By December, the Air Force was scheduled to make a decision, but they haven’t yet.
Lawmakers from both states have increased their pressure on the Pentagon and White House in the absence of action.
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Congressional Probe and Power Play
Both delegations have invited Space Command chief Gen. James Dickinson to talks on the matter, and Rogers has started a probe into the money spent on improvements to the temporary Colorado headquarters.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), a dark horse candidate, has even argued that Ohio is a better location for Space Command than either Alabama or Colorado.
They are currently using their positions of power over the Pentagon’s budget and strategy to put an end to the drama.
In Rogers’ plan, financing for Space Command upgrades is prohibited, and until a decision is made, half of Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s travel expenses are frozen.
The headquarters’ location is not specified in Rogers’ proposal; rather, the Air Force must make a choice and defend it to Congress before funding is released.
The clause was created because of worries that Colorado would undergo changes that would make it more appealing as a location for a permanent headquarters.
It’s unknown how committee members will vote on the matter, but few politicians from outside the two feuding states have shown a willingness to participate in the debate, which is perceived as being extremely partisan and parochial between a strong conservative state and a rising blue state.
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