President Biden decided Thursday that U.S. Space Command headquarters will remain in Colorado and not move to Alabama, reversing a then-President Trump decision to move the HQ.
The cancelation of U.S. Space Command’s move to Alabama comes as Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) has been continuously blocking military promotions in protest of the government’s funding to cover travel costs for abortions for service members and their dependents. More than 260 nominations have been held up so far this year, and that number could potentially reach 650 by the end of December.
Biden’s decision has reportedly enraged Alabama lawmakers, though U.S. officials said the abortion issue had no effect at all on the President’s verdict.
Tuberville himself called the decision disastrous,” adding that it’s “shameful” that the Biden Administration would make the announcement while Congress was on August break.
“This is absolutely not over,” Tuberville said in a statement. “I will continue to fight this as long as it takes to bring Space Command where it would be best served—Huntsville, Alabama.”
U.S. Space Command is a joint command and separate from the U.S. Space Force military branch. It’s currently housed in Colorado Springs. However, the Air Force had recommended toward the end of the Trump Administration that it be moved to Alabama—a recommendation recently reiterated to Biden by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. Former Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett also recommended Huntsville for Space Command headquarters in 2021.
Instead, Biden followed the advice of Gen. James Dickinson, the head of Space Command, who asserted that headquarters should remain in Colorado Springs because by not moving it, the facility will be fully operational sometime this month, while picking up stakes would jeopardize military readiness.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not offer an opinion on U.S. Space Command’s location.
