United States President Joe Biden reversed a decision made by the previous administration to move the headquarters of US Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.
The decision to reject former United States President Donald Trump's bid is expected only to intensify the political tension with Capitol Hill. Members of the Colorado and Alabama delegations have long been at each other's throats, accusing the other of playing politics on the future of the four-star command.
Space Command To Remain in Colorado
Authorities re-established the command in 2019 and made its temporary headquarters in Colorado while the Air Force worked on evaluating a list of potential permanent sites. The command's responsibilities lie in overseeing the military's operations of space assets and the defense of satellites.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pay Ryder said that the Democratic president noted to the Department of Defense on Monday that he decided to make Colorado the permanent headquarters of Space Command, as per Politico.
The decision was allegedly made following a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and weighing the input of several senior military leaders. Ryder said that placing the command's headquarters in Colorado ultimately ensures its peak readiness in the space domain for the country during a critical time.
He added that the decision would enable the command to most effectively plan, execute, and integrate military space power into multi-domain global operations. The military leaders who supported Biden's decision included Austin, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, and US Space Command Chief Gen. James Dickinson.
The latest development ends several months of speculation regarding whether Biden would reverse the Trump administration's decision to move the command to Alabama. Initially, the Air Force recommended the command to stay in Colorado but later chose Alabama to be the location for its headquarters following a meeting at the White House in January 2021.
Political Tensions Over the Decision
In response to the decision, Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers, the House Armed Services Committee chairman, said that this "fight is far from over." According to the Associated Press, Biden defended his decision by saying that keeping the command in Colorado would prevent a disruption in its readiness.
Some Alabama lawmakers claim that the state's abortion laws somewhat influenced Biden's decision. There, Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville and the Defense Department are at odds over providing travel funds for troops seeking reproductive health care.
Tuberville has opposed the policy and is blocking hundreds of military promotions to protest the proposal. However, officials argued that abortion laws did not play a factor in Biden's decision, saying they expected utterly opposing views.
Colorado Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, on the other hand, welcomed Biden's decision to keep the command's headquarters in their state. Bennet added that they have repeatedly argued that Trump's bid to move it to Alabama was misguided.
The Democrat added that the president's latest decision restores integrity to the Pentagon's basing process and provides a powerful message that national security and the Armed Forces' readiness are what drives military decisions, said NBC News.
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