(COLORADO) — Senator John Hickenlooper sat down with FOX21 News on Wednesday, June 14 to discuss legislation concerning the future of the Pueblo Chemical depot, as well as numerous other topics including Space Command and the Denver Nuggets.
The Pueblo Act
Senator Hickenlooper, together with Senator Michael Bennet, introduced legislation that will fully close the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot and transfer the remaining parcel of land back to the community of Pueblo for economic redevelopment.
The depot is one of two remaining military sites in the U.S. that stores chemical weapons originally manufactured during World War II. The U.S. Army is decommissioning all chemical weapons at these sites to fulfill American obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty. The stockpile at the depot is on track to be fully destroyed by September.
The Pueblo Act dictates that the depot be closed no later than one year after the completion of the chemical demilitarization mission. Hickenlooper said he hopes to keep the skilled workers who have assisted in decommissioning the depot in Pueblo.
“Well, you know, there’s an awful lot of skilled workers that have been helping in, and decommissioning this depot,” said Hickenlooper. “And I think there’s a real opportunity there to to look for those kinds of manufacturers that that need skilled a skilled workforce.”
Hickenlooper and Bennet submitted language to the Senate Armed Services Committee to include the PUEBLO Act in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.
Space Command
The future of Space Command is still uncertain, though Hickenlooper expressed the sentiment that the decision to move Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama would be a difficult and counterintuitive move to make.
“Space Command is very close to what they call FOC – Full Operational Capability. And I feel that, this is me talking to a number of generals, other people in the military, that once they get to FOC, it’s hard to move it,” said Hickenlooper.
Hickenlooper said the war in Ukraine exemplifies why a move right now would put America’s interests in jeopardy, since Russia has proven its capabilities in attacking other nations’ satellites.
“This is not the appropriate time to say… ‘here we have Space Command that’s in charge of defending [America’s] satellites, and suddenly we’re going to move this down to Alabama’,” said Hickenlooper. “Maintaining Full Operational Capability in a move like that, seems precarious, and somewhat reckless.”
Hickenlooper said these are the types of arguments that he has made in support of keeping Space Command in Colorado, which he hopes will provide valuable input that will be used in the final decision.
Election of Yemi Mobolade as Colorado Springs Mayor
Hickenlooper weighed in on the appointment of Yemi Mobolade to the office of Colorado Springs Mayor, saying that he thinks Mobolade will bring great things to the City.
“He’s very focused on how you build a strong economy,” said Hickenlooper. “Give him, give Yemi two or three years and I think you’ll see some real results.”
Denver Nuggets NBA Finals win
In a lighthearted discussion, Senator Hickenlooper said the determination of the Denver Nuggets is the perfect representation of the spirit of Colorado. And while he is proud to see a home town team win, it comes bittersweet for the lawmaker, who can’t be in Denver for the victory parade on Thursday, June 15.
“I feel cheated, disappointed, because I’m in Washington doing Colorado’s business, you know, representing the state that I love, and they’re going to have that parade [on Thursday] without me!”
Senator Hickenlooper joked that the only game he was able to attend this season, the Nuggets unfortunately lost. And while he was in town for the last home game, he said he just couldn’t risk attending in case his presence would jinx the team’s chances. And for that, everyone in Colorado and here at FOX21 thanks him.
