HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama representative Dale Strong (R-D5) asked for the House Armed Services Committee to look into the recent decision to keep Space Command Headquarters in Colorado rather than moving to Huntsville, and he got his wish. The Huntsville decision, which took place during the Trump administration, was reversed by the Biden administration earlier this year.
In a statement on the hearing, Rep. Strong said:
Representative Dale W. Strong released the following statement in response to the House Armed Services committee's announcement of a hearing to investigate the recent U.S. Space Command Headquarters basing decision.
"I wasn't kidding when I said this was far from over. I asked Chairman Rogers to hold a hearing and now it's time for these leaders to answer questions under oath. The findings of the robust basing process were completely ignored when the fifth best location in Colorado was chosen to host the Space Command Headquarters.
"Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Space Command commander General James Dickinson, and Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman have all been called to testify before HASC regarding the Space Command basing decision.
"On August 3, Rep. Strong sent HASC Chairman Mike Rogers a letter requesting the committee bring Secretary Kendall and general Dickinson to testify "at the earliest opportunity" regarding the basing decision.
"The way the Biden administration and Department of Defense leadership has handled the Space Command situation is something that should worry every state. Allowing the Air Force to conduct an expensive and long basing process, only to undermine it when it's decision time, 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."
The House Armed Services Committee released this statement:
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, invited Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, U.S. Space Command Commander, General James Dickinson, and Space Force Chief of Space Operations, General Chance Saltzman, to testify to the House Armed Services Committee on President Biden’s politically-motivated decision to locate the headquarters for U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“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. 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. We will get answers on President Biden’s political manipulation of the selection process.”
No date has been set for the hearing.