COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — After years of back and forth, President Donald Trump made another announcement that the permanent home of U.S. Space Command will be moving from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama.
It's a decision elected leaders are calling a disappointment. Colorado's congressional delegation issued a statement Tuesday calling the move a threat to national security and a "waste of taxpayer dollars”.
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said he was “not surprised” by the announcement, but that unlike four years ago he believes there are more opportunities for Colorado’s defense and aerospace industries.
One of the priorities? Golden Dome, which President Trump said Huntsville, Alabama will play a key role in. It’s a missile defense program that could result in billions of dollars of investment, according to congressional leaders.
“Now, the president hasn't made any promises to me or any commitment,” Mobolade said “but when you're reading, when you're reading between the lines, you can see, okay, Colorado Springs is going to be a major player in these decisions moving forward.”
Mobolade also said he does not believe Colorado Springs will ultimately be in trouble if it loses U.S. Space Command or other space investments. U.S. Senator Michael Bennet echoed that sentiment and called the move “an abuse of power “and a “blatantly political decision”.
Full Colorado Congressional Delegation Statement:
"Today’s decision to move U.S Space Command’s headquarters out of Colorado and to Alabama will directly harm our state and the nation. We are united in fighting to reverse this decision. Bottom line—moving Space Command headquarters weakens our national security at the worst possible time.
"Moving Space Command sets our space defense apparatus back years, wastes billions of taxpayer dollars, and hands the advantage to the converging threats of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The Department of Defense Inspector General’s office has reported multiple times that moving the Command will impede our military’s operational capability for years.
"Space Command’s long-term presence in Colorado Springs has also created a large number of civilian businesses and workers on which the Command now relies. Those people will not simply move with the Command at the military’s whim. Many of them will leave the industry altogether, creating a disruption in the workforce that will take our national defense systems decades to recreate.
"Being prepared for any threats should be the nation’s top priority; a crucial part of that is keeping in place what is already fully operational. Moving Space Command would not result in any additional operational capabilities than what we have up and running in Colorado Springs now. Colorado Springs is the appropriate home for U.S. Space Command, and we will take the necessary action to keep it there."
“This is not a fatal blow to our space and our air space economy in Colorado but it is robust, we will grow we're not reliant on Donald Trump for that economy, but it certainly will hurt,” Bennet said.
At the county level, El Paso County Commissioners said it was "not the outcome" they had hoped for but that "we look forward to future opportunities to support the Trump administration's efforts to expand and enhance our national security footprint."
Colorado's Governor, who has also been vocal in his support of Space Command over the years echoed the disappointment from other elected officials. In a statement, the governor said "Colorado Springs is home to a proud military community and a thriving aerospace ecosystem, and significant national security missions and units, all of which are critical to U.S. Space Command. Coloradans and Americans should all be provided full transparency and the full details of this poor decision."
A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released earlier this year said Colorado Springs' future for the command was not sustainable long term and it would need new military construction to support the headquarters' operations in Colorado Springs. The report said construction would cost $1.5 billion.
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