Led by two Republican congressmen, members of the Florida delegation are calling on the Trump administration to base the proposed U.S. Space Command in the Sunshine State.
On Tuesday, Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Bill Posey and Mike Waltz wrote a letter to acting U.S. Defense Sec. Patrick Shanahan on the matter. Waltz, the only freshman Republican serving on the U.S. House Armed Forces Committee, has been increasingly vocal about his support for the space industry’s role in Florida.
“We write to express our support for the establishment of a U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) and urge locating the headquarters in Florida,” the members wrote. “Space Command is a crucial step for the United States maintaining its position as a global leader in space innovation which is essential to national security and commerce in the 21st Century. According to the January 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, ‘countries – including U.S. adversaries and strategic competitors – will become more reliant on space services for civil and military needs, and China and Russia will field new counterspace weapons intended to target U.S. and allied space capabilities.’”
The members of the Florida delegation showcased why the Sunshine State makes sense to host the new branch of the military.
“Florida, with its existing civilian and commercial space infrastructure and launch capabilities, is uniquely suited, and the logical choice to locate USSPACECOM headquarters to counteract these growing threats,” they wrote. “Florida is the epicenter for America’s space program. Our Space Coast launched the first American suborbital flight and the first American to orbit Earth. From Cape Canaveral, rockets propelled the astronauts that left their footprints on the face of the moon and ferried the space shuttle astronauts into the stratosphere for 30 years. Florida universities lead the world in training premier aviation and aerospace talent, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
“Florida has a strong defense and aerospace industry base and also has a long history of supporting America’s military community,” they continued. “Florida offers an unrivaled quality of life for personnel and their families. Our state is committed to assisting our brave servicemembers who go into harm’s way overseas, and now into the frontiers of space. U.S. Space Command will be essential to American national security through the acceleration of space capabilities to defend our national interests and deter our adversaries. We hope these important factors are considered when your department makes recommendations as to where to locate the USSPACECOM headquarters.”
Florida Democrat U.S. Reps. Charlie Crist and Stephanie Murphy signed the letter. So did Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Mario Diaz-Balart, Neal Dunn, Brian Mast, John Rutherford, Ross Spano, Greg Steube, Dan Webster and Ted Yoho.
Gov. Ron DeSantis also weighed in on the issue, writing President Donald Trump on the matter on Tuesday.
“Today, I submitted a request to President Trump formally asking him to headquarter United States Space Command in Florida,” DeSantis said on Tuesday. “As the world’s premier gateway to space, Florida has been the departure point for more cargo and humans to space than any other place in the world, so I believe our state is the logical choice to base this new command. In addition to my request to the President, I have also directed Space Florida to make it a top priority to pursue and secure this new headquarters here in Florida.”
Back in the fall, Shanahan said he expected the Space Command to be much smaller than other branches, with around 20,000 personnel.
