U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate the decision to keep Space Command in Colorado. The decision contradicts the GAO’s report recommending Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the command’s headquarters.
Rogers (R-Saks), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, labeled President Biden’s selection of Colorado Springs as “preferential decision-making.”
“National security decisions of this magnitude and significant economic interest require the process to be standardized, repeatable, transparent, and deliberate. Based on numerous administration officials talking to the press, the decision by President Biden appears to be anything but,” Rogers said in a letter today to the GAO. “Preferential decision-making by the president because of certain state laws has widely been publicized as a major factor but was never included in the basing requirements.”
Related story: Rogers calls Space Command decision-makers to testify.
He also said the administration’s decision to go against the GAO report was not part of a transparent process.
“Long-term, permanent basing decisions should stand up to scrutiny and not be politically motivated based on social policy preferences or based on advocacy by Administration officials,” Rogers said. “Instead, such a process should remain analytical and focused on clearly announced criteria and requirements that can be publicly scrutinized. Anything but a transparent process played out in the final decision for USSPACECOM headquarters under this Administration.
“The public deserves an independent review to understand how this basing process went awry and failed to follow transparent and repeatable steps which would have garnered trust in the final basing decision for USSPACECOM headquarters.”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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