Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – (HOUSTON, Texas) – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement on the Air Force’s announcement that San Antonio, Texas has been selected as one of the of six finalist locations to host the U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) headquarters following the evaluation phase of the selection process.
Following the announcement, Sen. Cruz said:
“I am pleased that the Department of the Air Force has recognized Military City USA’s unique expertise and infrastructure by naming it as a finalist for the U.S. Space Command Headquarters. Given San Antonio’s long history of supporting our nation’s warfighters, its proximity to both outstanding educational institutions and top aerospace technology and development corporations, and its well established intelligence and cyber defense presence, there is no better location for the Space Force to call home. Texas is a pillar in America’s defense, and I will continue to advocate that the Lone Star State be selected for the Space Force headquarters as we look to advance America’s leadership in space.”In August, Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Secretary of the Air Force advocating for the cities of Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio to be selected as the host for U.S. Space Command Headquarters.
Sen. Cruz has long been a leading advocate for standing up a Space Force. In 2019, Sen. Cruz chaired a hearing that examined current approaches to civil-military coordination, cooperation, de-confliction activities, and related issues, and discussed future architectures for managing the space domain.
In addition, a version of the legislation Sen. Cruz introduced that created the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy was included in the final version of the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Cruz’s provision helped ensure that the Space Force has sufficient influence and resources to address the challenges our nation will face as space increasingly becomes a domain of military competition.
As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, Sen. Cruz has championed America’s leadership in space and been a fierce advocate for commercial space development activities, including just this year securing a provision in the NDAA to bolster U.S. commercial remote sensing. Sen. Cruz has also been working vigorously to ensure the U.S. remains the dominant leader in low-earth orbit and beyond by pushing to extend the life of the ISS through 2030 and grow our human exploration activities.
