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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 23 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 23

Recognizing the 4th anniversary of the Trump administration's Secretary 
of the Air Force announcing Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, as 
  the preferred location for United States Space Command Headquarters.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 13, 2025

  Mr. Tuberville (for himself and Mrs. Britt) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Recognizing the 4th anniversary of the Trump administration's Secretary 
of the Air Force announcing Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, as 
  the preferred location for United States Space Command Headquarters.

Whereas, on January 13, 2021, the United States Air Force announced Redstone 
        Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, as the preferred location for United 
        States Space Command Headquarters;
Whereas January 13, 2025, marks the 4th anniversary of this decision being 
        announced during the first Presidential administration of Donald J. 
        Trump;
Whereas President Donald J. Trump directed the Secretary of Defense to 
        reestablish United States Space Command as a unified combatant command 
        on December 18, 2018;
Whereas, as a result of President Donald J. Trump's direction, the Secretary of 
        Defense directed the United States Air Force Basing Office to initiate a 
        basing action for the preferred permanent location of United States 
        Space Command headquarters, hereafter referred to as the ``2019 Basing 
        Action'';
Whereas the Secretary of the Air Force signed a memorandum approving a 
        provisional headquarters pending the selection of a preferred permanent 
        location for United States Space Command on January 15, 2020;
Whereas, on April 15, 2019, the Secretary of the Air Force was given the 
        authority to make a decision on the preferred permanent location for 
        United States Space Command Headquarters;
Whereas, as a further result of President Trump's direction, the Secretary of 
        Defense reestablished United States Space Command as a unified combatant 
        command on August 29, 2019;
Whereas, as a result of concerns expressed by Congress regarding the 2019 Basing 
        Action, the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Air Force met to 
        discuss a modified basing action and approved the 2020 Basing Action, 
        hereafter referred to as the ``Strategic Basing Action'', on April 27, 
        2020;
Whereas the approved Strategic Basing Action contained three phases and was 
        initiated on May 14, 2020, starting with the Self Nomination Phase and 
        the solicitation of proposals from military installations interested in 
        hosting United States Space Command Headquarters;
Whereas, during the Self Nomination Phase, 66 candidate locations in 26 States 
        were nominated and the Air Force Basing Office determined 50 locations 
        met the initial nomination criteria;
Whereas the second Strategic Basing Action phase, hereafter referred to as the 
        ``Evaluation Phase'', began on July 23, 2020, and assessed each of the 
        50 locations on four evaluation factors ``Mission'', ``Capacity'', 
        ``Community'', and ``Costs to the Department of Defense'', with 21 
        criteria between the factors;
Whereas the Evaluation Phase concluded on November 18, 2020, and the United 
        States Air Force publicly announced six finalists to advance to the 
        third phase of the Strategic Basing Action on November 19, 2020, ranked 
        in the following order:

    (1) Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

    (2) Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska.

    (3) Joint Base San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.

    (4) Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

    (5) Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    (6) Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Whereas the 2022 Department of Defense Inspector General report titled 
        ``Evaluation of the Air Force Selection Process for the Permanent 
        Location of the U.S. Space Command Headquarters'' found that there was a 
        large break in qualification that occurred after the top two locations 
        during the Evaluation Phase;
Whereas the third phase of the Strategic Basing Action, hereafter referred to as 
        the ``Selection Phase'', was conducted from December 4, 2020, through 
        January 7, 2021;
Whereas the findings of the Selection Phase resulted in the six finalists from 
        the Evaluation Phase being ranked in the following order:

    (1) Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

    (2) Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    (3) Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska.

    (4) Joint Base San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.

    (5) Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

    (6) Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Whereas the Strategic Basing Action found that Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, 
        Alabama, consistently ranked as the top location throughout the process 
        and compared more favorably across the 4 key factors and 21 criteria 
        than any other finalist location;
Whereas the Strategic Basing Action found that Huntsville, more so than any 
        other finalist location, provided a large, qualified workforce, quality 
        schools, superior infrastructure, and low initial and recurring costs to 
        the Department of Defense;
Whereas the aforementioned points proved that Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, 
        Alabama, was and remains to be, the best location for United States 
        Space Command Headquarters and informed the decision of the United 
        States Air Force selecting the site as the preferred location on January 
        13, 2021;
Whereas the findings of the Strategic Basing Action have been supported by 
        reports following subsequent Department of Defense Inspector General and 
        Government Accountability Office investigations; and
Whereas, despite an extensive process determining that Redstone Arsenal in 
        Huntsville, Alabama, was the best possible location for United States 
        Space Command, on July 31, 2023, President Joseph R. Biden and his 
        Presidential administration chose to disregard the findings of the 
        Strategic Basing Action and announced the intention to locate the 
        headquarters at the fifth best location, Colorado Springs, Colorado: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes that the United States Air Force's Strategic 
        Basing Action process complied with law and policy and was 
        justified in identifying Huntsville as the preferred permanent 
        location for United States Space Command Headquarters;
            (2) strongly commends President Donald J. Trump and his 
        first Presidential administration for completing a robust and 
        fact-based Strategic Basing Action focused on what was best to 
        ensure the national security and fiscal responsibility of the 
        United States and well-being of service members and their 
        families;
            (3) strongly condemns President Joseph R. Biden and his 
        Presidential administration for disregarding the findings of 
        the Strategic Basing Action and allowing United States Space 
        Command Headquarters to be based at the fifth best location; 
        and
            (4) encourages President Donald J. Trump and his incoming 
        second Presidential administration to halt the Biden 
        administration's disastrous decision and immediately proceed in 
        establishing a permanent headquarters for United States Space 
        Command at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
                                 <all>
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