A House Democrat from Alabama broke party ranks and criticized the Biden administration over its decision to nix a Trump-era plan to move the U.S. Space Command headquarters to her state.
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), the lone Democrat in Alabama’s congressional delegation who endorsed President Joe Biden during the 2020 election, issued a scathing statement after the Pentagon announced on Monday that the military command would stay in Colorado.
“This Administration’s decision to keep Space Command in Colorado bows to the whims of politics over merit. Huntsville’s merits won this selection process fair and square,” Sewell said, referring to the city that had previously been chosen as the permanent home of Space Command.
“In three separate reports, Huntsville reigned victorious, whereas Colorado did not come in second or even third. This reversal is as shameful as it is disappointing,” she added. “I expected more from the Biden Administration. A decision of this magnitude should not be about red states versus blue states, but rather what is best for our national security.”
Sewell concluded: “To be clear, the Alabama Congressional Delegation stands united in opposition to this decision.”
Former President Donald Trump revived U.S. Space Command during his administration and in his final days in office in January 2021, it was announced that the Air Force intended to move the Space Command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
Politicians from Colorado have long cried foul over the plan, often claiming that it lacked merit and that politics were at play, leading to multiple government watchdog assessments that found the Air Force selection process flawed but legitimate.
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Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement that Biden made the decision to reverse the plan following a “thorough and deliberate evaluation process,” consultation with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and input from senior military leaders.
Dismissing the notion that politics were at play, National Security Adviser John Kirby told CNN that Biden acted on “operational readiness” alone. “When it came down to it, he believes it is in the best national security interests of the country if we leave Space Command in Colorado,” Kirby added.
Though Coloradan officials, including Republicans, voiced support for the decision, Alabama’s politicians were dismayed.
“The White House choosing to not locate Space Command Headquarters in Alabama – the rightful selection – is very simply the wrong decision for national security,” said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who is holding up military promotions to protest against a Pentagon abortion policy, said “Alabama is united” in opposing the “political decision” by the Biden administration regarding Space Command. Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL), whose district includes Huntsville, said the “fight for Space Command isn’t over.”