In a recent hearing on the confirmation of Elbridge Colby for the number three command spot in the Pentagon, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) questioned the nominee on the future of Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal as the home of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM).
Colby faced the Senate Armed Services Committee as the body considered him for the position of undersecretary for defense for policy. While Senate Democrats were predictably confrontational, as they have been with every one of President Donald Trump’s nominations, Republicans dove into policy specifics and how they would affect their respective constituencies.
When Tuberville’s turn came, he questioned Colby on his criteria for determining the future of SPACECOM should he be confirmed as undersecretary.
In January 2021, the Secretary of the Air Force identified the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville as the top choice for the SPACECOM headquarters. The recommendation for the site was then affirmed by the Inspector General's Office and the Government Accountability Office, both of which found that the Air Force had conducted an accurate analysis and Huntsville was the superior location.
However, on July 31, 2023, President Joe Biden reversed the decision to locate SPACECOM in Huntsville and instead selected a location in Colorado.
Since the Biden administration’s decision, Tuberville and other lawmakers across the aisle have criticized the move as political, accusing Biden of favoring a state that favored him in his 2020 presidential run.
SEE: Alabama's federal delegation blasts Biden's decision to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs
“In 2023, President Biden overrode President Trump, the Department of the Airforce and the findings of multiple studies included an inspector general review and directed that the headquarters of [SPACECOM] remain in Colorado instead of moving to its selected location at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville Alabama, my state,” Tuberville said.
“Mr. Colby, if confirmed, will you be the senior DOD official in charge of space policy? You will be. As well as strategy, plans and capabilities for the entire department. Do you agree with me that, as a matter of policy, it is in our nation’s best interest to make basing decisions on merit and not on political agendas?” he asked.
Colby responded with a terse but unambiguous, “I do, Senator.”
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