Following President Joe Biden’s decision last month to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs, a powerful Alabama lawmaker is calling for a hearing on Space Command that would feature high-level military leaders. 

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., is calling on Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, U.S. Space Command leader Gen. James Dickinson and Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman to testify in front of the House Armed Services Committee on the decision to leave Space Command in Colorado Springs rather than move it to Huntsville. Rogers chairs the committee. 

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It’s unclear when a Space Command hearing might happen. Congress is in recess for the month of August. Space Command could reach full operational capacity by the end of the month. 

Biden picked Colorado Springs as the permanent home for Space Command after dueling arguments from Dickinson and Kendall were presented to him. Dickinson wanted to see it stay in place to reach full operational capacity sooner and Kendall argued the command should move to Huntsville, several national outlets including The Associated Press reported.

Rogers said in a news release Tuesday he wanted Kendall, Dickinson and Saltzman to testify on Biden’s decision because it usurped Kendall’s selection. 

“We will get answers on President Biden’s political manipulation of the selection process,” he said in the news release. 

President Donald Trump previously selected Huntsville in 2021 as the home of Space Command headquarters, which deters aggression in space and would make the call to defend it if necessary. The command is separate from Space Force, the youngest military branch. 

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Rogers’ announcement follows an article published by AL.com, the state’s largest news site, that pointed out Dickinson’s ties to Colorado. The story cited Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, who released public documents to the press showing that Dickinson bought a ranch in Colorado earlier this year before the decision on Space Command. 

The story did not point out that Dickinson is soon slated to leave his post as the head of Space Command. His replacement, Space Force Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, has already had his nomination hearing in the Senate and he is awaiting confirmation. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala, is holding up that confirmation as part of his effort to block all Senate confirmations over the Department of Defense’s abortion policies. 

At the same time, space is heating up with China planning to launch thousands of new satellites and the war in Ukraine and Russia demonstrating how critical satellites are in communication.