There are many reasons why Huntsville, Alabama is called “Rocket City”. The residents of Huntsville contribute significantly to space exploration and the infrastructure and technology that makes it possible. The aerospace and defense industry thrives here – and contractors do too – but like so many other good things that work well, President Biden and politicians in Washington, DC are trying to sabotage its future.
After exhaustive considerations, the United States Air Force announced in 2022 that Huntsville is the preferred permanent location for U.S. Space Command Headquarters. Multiple reviews and studies all settled on Huntsville. There is already a significant government presence, a long history of supporting technology and defense. In Huntsville Alabama, the aerospace and defense industry infrastructure are unparalleled.
Choosing Huntsville for U.S. Space Command was an easy decision to make supported by significant research and yes, science. The data is clear and so is history.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center was a significant contributor to developing the rocket system that brough the Apollo missions to the Moon in the 1960s. Today, thousands of engineers, scientists, and other professionals are actively developing the technologies and systems to explore Mars. Huntsville’s expertise in propulsion, launch vehicles, habitat systems, and scientific research makes it a valuable contributor to the future of space exploration. Unless woke politics disrupt it all.
Unsurprisingly, Colorado is making attempts to disrupt the process of moving Space Command headquarters to Alabama. Local leaders are holding onto hope that the jobs and support from the federal government could remain there – where it started – on a temporary basis. But they aren’t playing fair.
Alabama is being maliciously targeted by those playing politics simply because the facts and policy fail to support their agenda - and so far, it is working. Rather than be rational and factual and compete on the merit of the situation, Colorado officials, and others in Washington are choosing to make this a difficult political decision.
Some are blaming Alabama’s support for President Trump as a reason to avoid rewarding it with the headquarters. The state’s pro-life laws are also cited by many political leaders as a talking point to change the conversation about the benefits of Alabama hosting U.S. Space Command. Every single excuse offered so far is nothing more than a political game – and has nothing to do with the criteria that should matter. While we love our football in Alabama, it is shameful that the politicians are treating Huntsville like one.
If decisions were based on merit, the headquarters would have been established by now. Instead, the sour grapes from Joe Biden are on full display. Is the attempt to take away something that is best for the future of our country being made to appease a leftist woke agenda, or punish a state that didn’t vote for him? Either way, politics should be kept out of space.
While Colorado can claim they had the original, temporary headquarters, the fact is there are other places (not as good as Huntsville) that could be a better fit. From Cape Canaveral in Florida to what Elon Musk has built in Texas – there are more logical choices. However, these will not be in the realm of consideration either because of the politics at play.
Joe Biden and his Administration are looking to reward their radical left cronies – and retaliate against those who have a different political outlook.
Real leaders make decisions that support development and implementation of sound policies that benefit the needs of society. They utilize policy driven decision making to focus on the substance of the issue and the facts. When these are ignored, it seems childish and can be dangerous.
When political considerations override policy choices, we all lose. If Colorado can keep the U.S. Space Command headquarters, it will be because biased politicians are deviating from evidence-based policy recommendations. Yes, they should be following the analysis and the science – not settling a political score.
With each new ridiculous excuse to delay making Huntsville the home for U.S. Space Command, the woke hypocrisy shines through. Joe Biden’s delays and political maneuvering are painfully evident. You can probably see it from space – especially if you let the experts in Huntsville build the equipment.
Shaun McCutcheon is a Free Speech advocate, an Alabama-based electrical engineer, founder of Multipolar, and was the successful plaintiff in the 2014 Supreme Court case McCutcheon v. FEC.
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