Rogers: ‘It’s past time’ for Space Command move

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) said he’s had enough of the delays concerning the decision to move Space Command Headquarters to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

In reaction to recent reports that the Biden administration is attempting to prevent the headquarters from moving to Alabama, Rogers, who chairs the powerful House Armed Services Committee, is asking Department of Defense (DoD) officials to preserve all documents related to the decision.

“I’ve asked DoD officials to preserve all documents related to the SPACECOM headquarters basing decision,” Rogers said on Twitter. “It’s past time for this saga to be over and for SPACECOM to be settled in its permanent home at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL.”

I’ve asked DoD officials to preserve all documents related to the SPACECOM headquarters basing decision. It’s past time for this saga to be over and for SPACECOM to be settled in its permanent home at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. https://t.co/P2zrnZX3Ql

— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) May 19, 2023

The congressman said why he wants the preservation of those documents in a letter sent to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.

“To ensure Congress can conduct constitutionally mandated oversight, I request that the
Department of Defense and the Department of the Air Force take immediate steps to preserve all records created, referenced, or modified concerning the selection of a location for U.S. Space Command (“SPACECOM”) Headquarters,” Rogers said.

Rogers said delaying the move is endangering national security.

“The U.S. Space Force’s overall mission and success requires a swift decision on
finalizing the move,” he said. “The move is severely delayed at this point, over two years beyond the point when Air Force made the right decision after scrutinizing multiple locations and considering multiple factors to locate SPACECOM Headquarters in Huntsville, and over a year since the GAO and the DOD Inspector General affirmed Air Force’s decision.

“Moving expeditiously to locate SPACECOM Headquarters at Redstone Arsenal is in our country’s best national security interests.”

Rogers also said Congress has the right to make this request because of its oversight authority granted under law.

“For purposes of this request, ‘preserve’ means securing and maintaining the integrity of
all relevant documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata,” he said, “by taking reasonable steps to prevent the partial or full destruction, alteration, testing, deletion, shredding, incineration, wiping, relocation, migration, theft, mutation, or negligent or reckless handling that could render the information incomplete or inaccessible.

“Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. The Committee on Armed Services,
under Rule X, clause 1 of the Rules of the House of Representatives (House Rules), maintains oversight jurisdiction over the Department of Defense generally. Moreover, under the House Rules, the Committee on Armed Services derives its authority to conduct oversight from, among other things, clause 2(b)(1) of Rule X (relating to general oversight responsibilities), clause 3(b) of Rule X (relating to special oversight functions), and clause 1(b) of rule XI (relating to investigations and studies).”

Read the letter below. https://t.co/TuozlKJuLS

— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) May 19, 2023

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 Twitter @Yaffee