The U.S. Space Command will stay in Colorado instead of moving to Alabama.
President Joe Biden has made his decision, according to a press release on Monday from the Department of Defense, ending months of politically charged debate.
Space Command head Gen. James Dickinson argued to Biden that moving the headquarters would “jeopardize military readiness,” senior U.S. officials reportedly told The Associated Press.
Air Force leaders disagreed with Dickinson and recommended a move to Huntsville, Alabama.
Biden’s decision likely will anger Alabama lawmakers, according to AP.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has frustrated Biden and the DOD recently with his protest over travel for troops seeking abortions, per AP.
Tuberville opposed the policy and has been blocking military promotions in protest.
“The Republican Party used to always support the military, but today they’re undermining the military. The senior senator from Alabama, who claims to support our troops, is now blocking more than 300 military operations with his extreme political agenda,” Biden said in remarks to the Truman Civil Rights Symposium at the National Archives, according to CNN.
“Tens of thousands of America’s daughters and sons are deployed around the world tonight, keeping us safe from immense national security challenges, but the senator from Alabama is not.”
Tuberville, a former Texas Tech and Auburn football coach, said he had short conversations with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and some other GOP members of the Senate about his stance.
“I don’t represent the conference, I represent the people of Alabama,” Tuberville said, according to Politico.
“I have huge support. If I’d have gotten hammered … by 60-70 percent of people from my state, veterans, I mean, then you’ve got to start thinking about: ‘Am I doing the right thing?’” he explained.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall leaned toward Huntsville after conducting his own review, AP reported. Dickinson was staunchly in favor of staying at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
Austin presented both options to Biden, AP reported.
The DOD press release said, “Locating Headquarters U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs ultimately ensures peak readiness in the space domain for our nation during a critical period. It will also enable the command to most effectively plan, execute and integrate military spacepower into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression and defend national interests.”