Alabama political leaders are pointing to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to show that Huntsville is still the best place for the new U.S. Space Command Headquarters.
The GAO released a new report Thursday, revealing some of the shortfalls in the process of reversing the decision to locate the new U.S. Space Command Headquarters at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
“The GAO report yet again affirms that Huntsville is the best option for Space Command’s headquarters. When making his decision to locate the combatant command headquarters in Huntsville, President Trump prioritized transparency, national security, and a commitment to saving taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks). “Multiple GAO reports and the recent Inspector General’s report have validated this.”
RELATED: GAO report highlights ‘shortfalls’ in Space Command HQ decision under Biden
Rogers, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, said the actions by the Biden administration put partisan politics over national security.
“President Biden ignored multiple Air Force analyses and put his political ambitions above the welfare of the American people when he made the decision to put the headquarters in Colorado Springs,” he said. “President Biden cited ‘military readiness’ to justify his choice, but we now know his own administration officials repeatedly told him that Huntsville was the best location, and “military readiness” concerns were fictional.
“This blatant interference and politization of a critical decision on national security would cost the taxpayer over $420,000,000,” he added. “The contrast could not be clearer. President Trump chose the best location for SPACECOM headquarters. I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to rectify yet another one of Biden’s national security blunders.”
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) said he believes the report is another reason the Trump administration will soon announce that Space Command HQ will be moved to Huntsville.
“This report was released and it says the same thing that Alabama already knows the cost to construct and maintain in Alabama would save the taxpayers of America $426 million,” Strong said. “You look, this report also talks about that what’s in Colorado is unsustainable. They’ve got multiple locations. It is not working like it should and all of it would have to be replaced.”
“We feel comfortable that we’re moving forward and I feel that Donald Trump’s going to do what’s right for national security and that is to bring Space Command to Huntsville,” he added. “That would be about 1,700 jobs with a 3,000-job spin-off.”
It is widely expected that the newly confirmed Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink will soon officially move the Space Command HQ back to Huntsville.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
