Washington D.C. –U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote in the mail to Lloyd Austin, Secretary of the Department of Defense, and Frank Kendall, Secretary of the Department of the Air Force, asking the department to save all documents pertaining to this U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) Base decision of the Headquarters.
In the letter in the letter, Chairman Rogers expressed concern over the continued delays resulting from potential interference from Biden Administration “The Air Force’s egregious actions in deciding on an appropriate location for SPACECOM Headquarters force the Committee to immediately request documents preservation in this case. Air Force officials have continued to delay finalizing the relocation of SPACECOM headquarters in the direction of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama in protest to apparent political-motivated interference from political appointees within the Biden Administration. .”
Chairman Rogers added, “The U.S. Space Force’s overall mission and its success will require a rapid decision when closing the move. The move is incredibly delayed to this point more than two years after the point at which Air Force made the right choice after analyzing several locations and taking into consideration numerous factors that led to the decision to decide where to locate SPACECOM headquarters in Huntsville and one month since GAO as well as the DOD Inspector General confirmed Air Force’s determination. The urgent need to locate SPACECOM’s headquarters in the Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal would be in the best interest of our nation’s national security interests. .”
The full content of the letters is available below:
Thank you Secretary Austin and Secretary Kendall,
To ensure that Congress is able to conduct constitutionally-mandated oversight, I ask that Congress and the Department of Defense and the Department of the Air Force immediately take steps to protect any records that were created that are referenced, modified, or referred to in relation to the selection of the location for the U.S. Space Command (“SPACECOM”) Headquarters, beginning the 20th of January in 2021 including:
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Any memorandum, report briefing or other documents in connection with the Air Force’s decision to select the location of SPACECOM headquarters;
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all documents, and messages pertaining to any upcoming public announcement on the SPACECOM Headquarters and,
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All communications and documents with officials of the Biden Administration pertaining to SPACECOM headquarters.
The Air Force’s disastrous actions in deciding on the site for SPACECOM Headquarters require the Committee to pursue preservation of documents in this regard. Air Force officials have continued to delay finalizing the relocation from SPACECOM headquarters to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama in protest to a blatantly political interference by political appointees within Biden’s Administration. Biden Administration.
It is the U.S. Space Force’s mission, and the success of it demands a quick decision when moving forward. The move is incredibly delayed more than two years after the time when Air Force made the right choice after analyzing various locations and weighing various factors in deciding in deciding to locate SPACECOM headquarters in Huntsville and more than an entire year after when the GAO along with the DOD Inspector General have affirmed Air Force’s determination. The urgent need to find SPACECOM Headquarters in Redstone Arsenal will be within the best interest of our nation’s security interests.
As you are aware, Federal statutes require the protection of records relating to a wide range of policy and governmental decisions. It is the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. SS 3301 et seq.) is a requirement for the head of each federal agency to ensure the destruction or loss of pertinent agency records. Records and documents pertaining to policies or procedures, decision-making and other transactions relating with Air Force records and actions related to the establishment on SPACECOM Headquarters are subject to these requirements imposed by law.
In addition, other records may be protected under The Presidential Records Act (44 U.S.C. SS 2201 et seq.) in the form of “documentary materials . . . Created or received by the President or his immediate team, or an unit or a person from or from the Executive Office of the President that’s mission is to provide advice or assistance to the President when conducting actions that relate to or have an impact on the performance of the Constitutional, Statutory or other formal or ceremonial tasks of the President. .”
In the context of the request “preserve” refers to the security and preserving security and integrity for all pertinent documents communication, documents and other information, which includes metadata and electronic data, through taking reasonable steps to stop the complete or partial destruction of information, modification of the information, including testing, deletion shredding, burning, removal, or theft. or a careless or negligent handling that can make the data unreadable or unaccessible.
Thank you for rapid attention and consideration to our request. This request is being handled by the Committee on Armed Services, pursuant to Rule X, clause 1 of the Rules of the House of Representatives (House Rules) is the oversight body on the Department of Defense generally. In addition, according to House Rules, the House Rules and House Rules, it is the Committee on Armed Services derives its authority to oversee from the following sources: the clause 2(b)(1) in Rule X (relating to general oversight duties) as well as the clause 3(b) in Rule X (relating to special oversight duties) in addition to Clause 1(b) in rule XI (relating to studies and investigations). ).
