Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, and leaders from across the state in urging President Biden to reaffirm Colorado’s position as the premier home for U.S. Space Command and to restore integrity to the basing decision process.
“USSPACECOM has continued to prove its ability to ensure our national security in the space domain from Peterson Space Force Base. The threat landscape has changed considerably since January 2021, including Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and China’s global saber-rattling. These realities make the achievement of [Full Operational Capacity] as quickly as possible vital to our national security. We face an immediate and existential threat in the space domain. We cannot allow a flawed and costly political decision to threaten our national security and military readiness,” said Bennet, Hickenlooper, Polis, and the leaders in the letter.
In their letter, the leaders note that in December 2020, Bennet, Hickenlooper, Polis, and Primavera joined more than 600 state, federal, local, county and municipal officials, businesspeople, philanthropists, civic leaders, military officials, entrepreneurs and Coloradans from across the state in calling on President Donald Trump to keep the U.S. Space Command in Colorado.
“Colorado is home to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), U.S. Space Force Space Operations Command (USSF SpOC), and the majority of operational USSF Deltas. It hosts multiple additional space domain entities, including the Aerospace Data Facility – Colorado and the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) which are critical to our national security. Basing USSPACECOM in geographic proximity to these capabilities offers significant strategic and operational benefits, especially in twenty-first century conflicts,” said the leaders in the letter.
“Colorado Springs provides the existing infrastructure and the secure and redundant communications platforms necessary to successfully host this vital mission without committing restrictive additional funds. The financial cost of attempting to rebuild what Colorado has spent decades developing will require significant taxpayer dollars. In addition to the pre-existing infrastructure, since January 2021, the Department of Defense has invested further funds in Colorado Springs to develop the mission capabilities necessary to successfully operate USSPACECOM,” the letter continues.
The leaders point out that Colorado is home to the nation’s largest aerospace industry per capita which supports a collaborative network of military installations, major command centers, private aerospace companies, leading academic and research institutions, and public entities. Colorado’s aerospace economy has grown over 30% statewide in the past five years and remains 12% above the national average.
For years, Bennet has repeatedly expressed his concerns to President Biden and other administration officials about the flawed, political decision made in the waning days of the Trump Administration to move Space Command from Colorado to Alabama. Last month in a speech on the Senate floor, Bennet again urged the Biden Administration to keep Space Command in Colorado.
In addition to Bennet, Hickenlooper, Polis, and Primavera, the letter was also signed by Colorado U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Lauren Boebert, Doug Lamborn, Jason Crow, Brittany Petterson, and Yadira Caraveo, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, Speaker of the Colorado House Julie McCluskie, President of the Colorado Senate Steve Fenberg, Colorado House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, Colorado House Majority Leader Monica Duran, Colorado Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, and El Paso County Commissioner Stan VanderWerf, along with leaders from across Colorado.
The text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear President Biden,
Colorado is the best and only home for U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM). Just as we, and over 600 Coloradans, businesses, and leaders called on your predecessor to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado, we once again urge you to do so.
In 2022, the Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD IG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released two reports on the flawed USSPACECOM basing action. These reports asserted that the Department of the Air Force used an untested process which lacked transparency and credibility. The reports identified Colorado Springs as the preferred location based on the best military judgment of our nation’s most senior national security space leaders, as well as the inclusion of “Mission Impacts to Full Operational Capability (FOC)” as a decision factor. In fact, the USSPACECOM Commander expected Colorado Springs to achieve FOC approximately 4 to 6 years sooner than other candidates. It was only after the January 11, 2021 meeting with the White House that the basing office was directed to change the preferred recommendation.
Two years later, USSPACECOM has continued to prove its ability to ensure our national security in the space domain from Peterson Space Force Base. The threat landscape has changed considerably since January 2021, including Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and China’s global saber-rattling. These realities make the achievement of FOC as quickly as possible vital to our national security. We face an immediate and existential threat in the space domain. We cannot allow a flawed and costly political decision to threaten our national security and military readiness.
Colorado is home to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), U.S. Space Force Space Operations Command (USSF SpOC), and the majority of operational USSF Deltas. It hosts multiple additional space domain entities, including the Aerospace Data Facility – Colorado and the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) which are critical to our national security. Basing USSPACECOM in geographic proximity to these capabilities offers significant strategic and operational benefits, especially in twenty-first century conflicts.
Colorado Springs provides the existing infrastructure and the secure and redundant communications platforms necessary to successfully host this vital mission without committing restrictive additional funds. The financial cost of attempting to rebuild what Colorado has spent decades developing will require significant taxpayer dollars. In addition to the pre-existing infrastructure, since January 2021, the Department of Defense has invested further funds in Colorado Springs to develop the mission capabilities necessary to successfully operate USSPACECOM.
Beyond infrastructure, Colorado is also home to the largest private aerospace economy per capita in the nation, providing the innovation and workforce necessary to ensure the current and future success of the mission. USSPACECOM would face immense challenges recruiting and retaining the workforce already present in Colorado in any other location without costly investments. In an increasingly difficult fiscal situation, it is critical that the Department of the Air Force provides a justified topline and the confidence necessary to consider significant fiscal outlays.
We the undersigned strongly urge you to keep USSPACECOM at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado.
Respectfully,