Space Command builds out Colorado HQ as Congress members try to force Alabama move

The head of U.S. Space Command is building out his military command headquarters in Colorado, even as members of Congress try to force the Defense Department to move the headquarters to Alabama as planned by holding funding hostage, two congressional officials and two defense officials say.

NBC News was first to report that the Biden administration is reconsidering an approved move of the headquarters to Alabama because the state has imposed a near total ban on abortion.

On June 7, Gen. James Dickinson, the commander of Space Command, initiated a review to determine whether the command is at Full Operational Capability, or FOC, the officials said, which means whether it has the resources and personnel to be totally capable of performing its mission in its current location. While under Initial Operating Capability, Space Command is hiring personnel for temporary positions at its current headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but under FOC it could make the positions permanent.