Democrat Gov. Jared Polis and most members of the Colorado's U.S. congressional delegation are fighting the Biden administration's proposal that potentially would move hundreds of the state's Air National Guard members to the U.S. Space Force.
The Air Force's Legislative Proposal 480, which has been included in the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, would give U.S. Space Force authority over relevant National Guard units from governors, who have held that responsibility for more than 100 years.
U.S. Space Command is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The Colorado Air National Guard is based at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, and personnel are spread throughout the state.
The proposal would affect 393 members of the state's Air National Guard's 233rd Space Group.
Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of 85 lawmakers signed a letter urging the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees to oppose to the plan. The letter was led by Rep. Jason Crow, R-Colo.
"To be clear: When individuals sign up for the National Guard, they are serving their country and their community," the letter stated, emphasizing those last words, The Denver Post reported. "Congress shouldn't abandon this model."
Polis, who joined other governors in sending a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, wrote a separate letter to Austin to oppose the legislation "in the strongest possible terms."
"As [the Colorado Air National Guard's] commander-in-chief, I cannot stand idly by as the servicemembers I am charged with leading are faced with the decision to either leave military service, or serve in a manner that they did not originally agree to," Polis wrote, the Post reported.
"We know that a significant majority of Air National Guard space operators will not transfer to the U.S. Space Force, putting both their military career and national security at risk."
Legislative Proposal 480 is set to be considered by the House Armed Services Committee this week. Before it becomes law, though, months of debate and amendments in both chambers of Congress are expected.
None of Colorado's lawmakers who signed the letter sits on the House or Senate Armed Services committees. Retiring Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., who is from Colorado Springs, does have a committee seat but he did not sign the letter.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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