Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Lead Letter to the President Advocating for San Antonio as Space Command Headquarters

WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, and John Cornyn (R-Texas) were joined by members of the Texas Congressional delegation in sending a letter to President Trump in support of Port San Antonio and Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) being designated as the location for the U.S. Space Command Headquarters (USSPACECOM HQ).

In the letter, the senators wrote:

"Establishing SPACECOM HQ in San Antonio would ensure Space Force has everything it needs to succeed, and it would reflect the historic magnitude of your decision to create a new service branch."

[...]

"Proudly known as Military City USA, San Antonio, Texas has the largest presence of cyber and intelligence capabilities outside of the national capital region and a storied legacy of military service. Home to thousands of servicemembers, military families, and veterans, the city would welcome SPACECOM HQ with a patriotic community that takes pride in its leading role in defending our country. Joint Base San Antonio played a momentous role in the Space Force's nascent history by hosting its first recruits for basic military training, and its proximity to Port San Antonio makes the city the ideal location for SPACECOM HQ."

Joining Sens. Cruz and Cornyn as cosigners were the following Members of the House of Representatives from Texas: Jodey Arrington, Brian Babin, Kevin Brady, Michael Burgess, Michael Cloud, Mike Conaway, Dan Crenshaw, Henry Cuellar, Bill Flores, Kay Granger, Will Hurd, Sheila Jackson Lee, Kenny Marchant, Michael McCaul, Pete Olson, Chip Roy, Van Taylor, Marc Veasey, Randy Weber, Roger Williams, and Ron Wright.

BACKGROUND

Sen. Cruz has long been a leading advocate for creating a U.S. Space Command and Space Force, specifically working to give Texas a leading role in training and innovation for the branch.

Sen. Cruz led a bipartisan letter with 31 members of the Texas delegation urging the U.S. Air Force Secretary to designate Port San Antonio and Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) in San Antonio, Texas as the location for the U.S. Space Command Headquarters (USSPACECOM HQ).

This month, Sen. Cruz congratulated the first U.S. Space Force trainees for graduating Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, a monumental first step in a new frontier for American exceptionalism in space.

In August, Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the U.S. Air Force Secretary to designate one of three Texas cities as U.S. Space Command Headquarters (USSPACECOM HQ). Following Sen. Cruz's letter, the Pentagon announced San Antonio, Texas as one of six finalists to be chosen for the coveted location in November.

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 securing a provision to bolster U.S. commercial remote sensing and introducing legislation that created the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

Read the full text of the letter here and below.

December 18, 2020

The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Trump:

We write to express our full support for Port San Antonio as the future home of U.S. Space Command Headquarters (SPACECOM HQ)

Under your leadership, the U.S. Space Force was created to protect our interests in space and defend the nation against the growing threats of an increasingly contested domain in the 21st century. You rightfully recognized that our force structure was not well-positioned to meet the growing capabilities of our adversaries and took the bold step of establishing a separate service branch dedicated to this vital mission. It is crucial that the host of SPACECOM HQ is able to provide Space Force with all the resources required to fulfill its mission today and in the future. Establishing SPACECOM HQ in San Antonio would ensure Space Force has everything it needs to succeed, and it would reflect the historic magnitude of your decision to create a new service branch.

Proudly known as Military City USA, San Antonio, Texas has the largest presence of cyber and intelligence capabilities outside of the national capital region and a storied legacy of military service. Home to thousands of servicemembers, military families, and veterans, the city would welcome SPACECOM HQ with a patriotic community that takes pride in its leading role in defending our country. Joint Base San Antonio played a momentous role in the Space Force's nascent history by hosting its first recruits for basic military training, and its proximity to Port San Antonio makes the city the ideal location for SPACECOM HQ.

The city's business-friendly environment fosters vibrant space, defense, and technology industries. Diverse industry leaders, like SpaceX and Boeing, and countless trailblazing startups, like Axiom Space, have placed their roots close to San Antonio. Texas takes pride in being the best state to start a business and benefits from common-sense regulatory stability that will continue to attract top talent and support any future expansions SPACECOM HQ might need. The thriving industries in San Antonio, Texas paired with its diverse population and unique culture provides a large pool of highly-skilled, mission-driven workers.

Families continue to move to San Antonio, Texas from across the country for its unparalleled quality of life. A low cost of living, strong school system, and access to some of the best universities in the nation will ensure that the brave men and women serving at SPACECOM HQ will have everything they need to raise their families in a prosperous community. Because of San Antonio's ideal location in the heart of Texas, SPACECOM HQ would also be strategically protected from the risk of natural disasters, which are a direct threat to mission-readiness and can cost the taxpayers billions of dollars.

Department of Defense is already working with top-tier universities in San Antonio on groundbreaking research and pioneering innovations in everything from artificial intelligence to vaccine development. Access to premiere military medical institutions such as Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall will ensure those serving at SPACECOM HQ will have access to the best possible healthcare.

We were proud to support your bold vision for establishing a Space Force, and we would be honored to welcome SPACECOM HQ to Port San Antonio. Thank you for your leadership and attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,

/s/

###