The years-long saga over the question of where U.S. Space Command is to be headquartered will be resolved in the first week of President-Elect Donald Trump’s administration, Chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee and Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers says.
Anticipated as one of President Trump’s many first executive actions, it will reverse President Joe Biden’s political, and arguably illegal decision in 2023 to headquarter Space Command in Colorado, despite numerous assessments identifying Huntsville as the superior location based on merit and operational criteria – including a 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report obtained by Yellowhammer News declaring Huntsville as the No. 1 pick over No. 5 Colorado.
Rogers said Monday, “I told everybody then that Colorado Springs will not be the future location of Space Command. It will be Huntsville, Alabama who won it fair and square. And President Trump said in the campaign that he was going to reverse that decision if elected.
“And I knew he would because if you remember, not only did Alabama win two nationwide competitions, but President Trump’s secretary of the Air Force recommended Huntsville, President Biden’s secretary of the Air Force recommended Huntsville, and then Biden took it away for political reasons.”
“And we will start construction next year in Huntsville,” Rogers said.
RELATED: Rogers: Congress will ‘correct’ Biden on Space Command
All members of the Alabama federal delegation have been locked-in-step on the development of USSPACECOM’s permanent presence in Alabama, including U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, as well as Alabama’s lone Democratic representative, Terri Sewell. Sen. Britt spoke recently about what that consistent force has been like – and how it will multiply in the weeks to come.
“Everybody did their part to make sure that we have the moment that I hope that we have coming really soon, where we see President Trump say the rightful home of Space Command, where is best for national security, where is best for national defense, where it makes the most sense, without a doubt, is Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville,” Britt (R-Montgomery) said.
“I think that that will happen, and that would have never happened but for our delegation working in a bipartisan, bicameral way to put the people and the needs of Alabama before we did party or any other affiliation. So, I think that you’ll see a lot more of that.”
RELATED: GAO: Alabama 1st, Colorado 5th for Space Command HQ
Enthusiasm is building on the state level as well. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth said Tuesday he spoke with U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), who assured him President Trump will return the USSPACECOM development to its proper home.
Get ready North Alabama. Just got off the phone with @SenTuberville team, and they are confident @realDonaldTrump will bring Space Command back to its rightful home in Alabama. pic.twitter.com/bGGt6JjEYT
— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) November 12, 2024
Sen. Tuberville has been equally persistent on the issue in Washington, asking Gen. Dickinson personally under oath about the decision last year. Tuberville spoke strongly on the incoming Trump administration’s priority to reactivate Alabama as the rightful place for USSPACECOM.
“He will give us Space Command. But here’s the one thing I want to tell American people, Alabama, I’m pretty going the best place, but we know the best place is Huntsville,” Tuberville said. “Because it was done the right way the first time. The president does not pick Space Command; the Secretary of the Air Force does. The Secretary of the Air Force under Biden even picked Huntsville two years ago and said, ‘Don’t send it to Colorado. Huntsville is the best place.’ So that’s where it’s going to end up. But President Trump has to — he doesn’t pull the trigger — that happens with the Secretary of the Air Force when we get a new one in.”
“But there’s going to be a lot of good things happening for Alabama. President Trump is huge for the state of Alabama.”
RELATED: Biden overturns Space Command HQ decision
In May of last year, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee initiated an investigation into the politicization of the decision under the Biden administration. Rogers said unequivocally the delays were politically motivated and made possible by unauthorized changes in Space Command’s mission requirements, which Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall disclosed in a meeting with Alabama representatives.
At the request of Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia), the committee demanded unredacted documents by June 8 and ordered a halt to taxpayer-funded adjustments.
The House-approved FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act included language that would freeze funding for further Space Command facility development in Colorado until the permanent headquarters location was decided or an official report is submitted. Around the same time, Gen. Dickinson met with Alabama’s congressional delegation and reportedly told them Space Command “belongs” at Redstone Arsenal.
Rogers accused Pentagon officials in charge of the decision with “deliberate, taxpayer-funded manipulation.”
According to Alabama’s delegation in Washington, the incoming administration is prepared to fully resolve the years-long battle over U.S. Space Command’s headquarters and Redstone Arsenal stands ready to become its permanent home.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270
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