Rep. Mac Thornberry believes that setting up a Space Force as a new branch of the U.S. military will continue receiving support from both sides of the aisle even though the House of Representatives is now under the control of the Democratic Party, Space News reported Tuesday.
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“There has been consistent bipartisan support for greater emphasis on space, including organizational reform,†the outgoing House Armed Services Committee chairman told reporters recently, even as he noted that any proposal to setup a Space Force would likely be heavily scrutinized.
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Recent reports indicate that the Department of Defense will recommend, in its upcoming legislative proposal, the establishment of a Space Force as a sixth military branch, albeit under the U.S. Air Force, an arrangement akin to that between the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy.
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Such a proposal may be more palatable to Rep. Adam Smith, the incoming HASC chairman, who had supported earlier legislation to create a Space Force within the USAF.
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On the other hand, Smith has opposed the establishment of an independent Space Force, which he considers fiscally wasteful and a poor response to space-based national security issues.
