Alabama leaders called President Joe Biden’s reported decision to keep the U.S. Space Command in Colorado rather than move it to Alabama shameful, an outrage and demoralizing. And one powerful state lawmaker said the fight to get the base to Alabama “is far from over.”

The Associated Press reported Monday afternoon that, “President Joe Biden has decided to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the Trump administration to move it to Alabama and ending months of politically fueled debate, according to senior U.S. officials.”

Unnamed senior U.S. officials said Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness, the AP said. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision ahead of the official announcement.

“The Biden administration’s shameful delay to finalize the permanent basing decision for U.S. Space Command warranted the opening of a Congressional investigation,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “I will continue this investigation to see if they intentionally misled the Armed Services Committee on their deliberate taxpayer-funded manipulation of the selection process. I will continue to hold the Biden administration accountable for their egregious political meddling in our national security.

“This fight is far from over,” Rogers said.

Related: Biden: Space Command to stay in Colorado, rejecting move to Alabama, officials tell AP

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) called President Biden’s reported decision to keep Space Command headquarters in Colorado “shameful.”

“It is clear to anyone who has looked at the facts: Huntsville, Alabama is the best place for U.S. Space Command Headquarters,” Strong said. “Repeated investigations and objective reviews have proven that to be the case.

“It is shameful that the Biden Administration is ignoring what is best for our nation’s security and is instead using their woke agenda to make this decision,” Strong said. “To this point, the administration has refused to answer questions brought forth by the House Armed Services Committee’s investigation of their actions in this process. If they think this will go away… they are wrong. I will ensure they have to explain their actions and answer our questions on the record.”

“I want to thank Chairman Mike Rogers and the entire Alabama delegation, as we stand united to get answers for Alabamians,” Strong said.

“I am outraged to hear that the Secretary of the Air Force allowed politics to circumvent his, and the Department of Defense’s, own basing selection process that determined Huntsville, Alabama as the preferred location of SPACECOM. Huntsville was #1, Colorado Springs was #5!” U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala) said.

“We are deeply disappointed in the reversal of a meticulous decision-making process that selected Huntsville, Alabama for the permanent home of USSPACECOM,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said. “This community went through a lengthy selection process – twice. To have that process invalidated, and to have our selection taken away is demoralizing. It is even more disturbing that the selection is going to the community that ranked fifth in the selection process. Our systems should be better than that. The Department of Defense deserves better than that.

“No matter where USSPACECOM resides, Huntsville will move forward and continue to be a good neighbor with our national military partners. We fully support our military and aerospace sectors and will work to ensure Huntsville remains a key component in furthering USSPACECOM’s mission on the national and global stage.”

(This story is developing)