COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado lawmakers led by Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet launched a letter to new Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall Thursday urging him to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs while investigating political influences that prompted the Trump administration to order its move to Alabama.
The letter, also signed by Colorado Springs Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, said moving the command, which oversees all American military missions in orbit, could endanger national security and stick taxpayers with more than $1.2 billion in unnecessary spending.
"This move undermines our ability to respond to the threats in space and is disruptive to the current mission," the lawmakers wrote. "Additionally, significant evidence exists that the former president’s political considerations influenced the final decision to relocate Space Command to Redstone Arsenal.
The Pentagon announced the plan to move Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Ala., one week before President Donald Trump left office. Sources inside the military immediately cried foul, saying Trump overruled military advisers and based his decision on politics.
Last month, Trump confirmed the reports in an interview with an Alabama radio show, claiming "I single-handedly said 'let's go to Alabama.'"
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