COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado politicians gathered Monday evening to formally celebrate the Biden Administration's decision to keep the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs.
Elected officials, including Gov. Jared Polis, Sen. Michael Bennett, Sen. John Hickenlooper, Rep. Doug Lamborn, and Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, made remarks at America the Beautiful Park in Colorado Springs during the event. They applauded the work of countless officials across the state and the Biden Administration for making the basing decision.
"This has been years in the making. It's been a hard fight and we thought it was important for everyone to come together, including the community, and celebrate a win," said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, CEO of the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC.
Members of the public, including many veterans, came to celebrate and hear their elected officials speak about the decision. Gregory Davis, a veteran, said he has lived in Colorado Springs for 27 years but was born in raised in Huntsville, Alabama, where the Trump Administration planned to move the Space Command headquarters in 2020. He said he is happy it will remain in the Olympic City USA.
"I'm looking forward for what all Space Command has done, is doing, and going to do in our future," he said. "The sky's the limit in Colorado Springs."
Many officials stressed that this decision was in the interest of national security, not politics. Sen. Hickenlooper said the Space Command will bring more economic growth to the area.
"These are going to be the jobs that attract small businesses here. Those small businesses will attract more small businesses. These are the kinds of successes that lead to hundreds and thousands of more successes down the road," he said.
The Biden Administration announced last Monday to overturn the decision to permanently house U.S. Space Command in Huntsville, Alabama, and keep it in Colorado Springs.
The decision followed years of debate and controversy after the decision to move in the first place may have been considered a political one. State and local leaders are now applauding the administration's decision to overturn the move.
Read more about the reactions from Colorado and Alabama leaders here.
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