Congressman Robert Aderholt says language in a new spending bill will halt development of the U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado until an official decision has been made.

It’s another salvo in the ongoing battle over where U.S. Space Command should be located – Colorado Springs, Colo. or Huntsville.

The language is included in the 2024 House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill.

A report by the subcommittee states that it “is concerned” that a final decision on a permanent location for the United States Space Command headquarters hasn’t been reached after nearly five years of consideration.

It calls on Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall to announce a decision “expeditiously” and requires a report within 90 days of the bill’s passage on any money spent previously on Space Command headquarters.

In a statement, Aderholt said the language “incentivizes” a decision be made on the location of headquarters as quickly as possible. According to Aderholt, it also prevents money from being spent on the project unless a decision is made.

“Now more than ever, the establishment of a permanent Space Command Headquarters remains vital to our national security,” he said. “In this matter, timeliness remains of the utmost importance.”

The Air Force and Space Force initially recommended that the headquarters be placed in Colorado Springs, but in the final days of his term, President Donald Trump decided the new headquarters would be based in Huntsville.

The basing decision, while not directly connected, has become part of a larger political fight.

The Biden administration has not moved forward with assigning the headquarters to Huntsville as the decision went through a series of congressional and inspector general reviews.

Meanwhile, Sen. Tommy Tuberville has used a Senate privilege to essentially stop any military officer nominations or promotions until the Defense Department rescinds a policy that would allow and provide support for service members to seek reproductive care outside their current assignment area.

The Biden administration has not said whether it will overturn the previous decision to award the headquarters to Alabama, which has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country.

Last week, Tuberville said in a tweet that the top general in charge of U.S. Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, told him during a meeting that Huntsville is the preferred location for its new headquarters.

Sen. Katie Britt also said Dickinson told her that “the headquarters of U.S. Space Command belongs on Redstone Arsenal.”

U.S. Space Command had no comment on the statements.

Aderholt said he was “relieved” that Dickinson “assured the Alabama Delegation that he had no national security concerns about moving the headquarter.”

“I urge the Department to move the headquarters to its preferred permanent location as quickly as possible,” he said. “As we take this step, I would like to thank the Alabama delegation for their commitment to this fight. We all know that Space Command belongs in the Rocket City.”