Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), chair of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, said Friday he will not seek reelection this November.
Lamborn has represented Colorado’s 5th district since 2007, which is now home to U.S. Space Command headquarters, and has been a strong proponent of hypersonic weapon development and nuclear modernization initiatives, to include the sea-launched nuclear cruise missile program (SLCM-N).
The Colorado Republican announced his decision during an appearance on Richard Randall’s radio show on Friday, and it will likely set up a competitive race for what is considered a safe GOP seat for the Colorado Springs-based district.
Lamborn in early 2023 succeeded Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) as the top Republican on the HASC Strategic Forces Subcommittee, which has oversight of nuclear weapons, ballistic missile defense, national security space programs and Department of Energy national security programs.
“As chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, ensuring our nuclear triad modernization remains on track is my top priority. Additionally, in light of the worsening nuclear threats our nation faces, supplemental capabilities are required to ensure there is no deterrence gap – specifically, the nuclear sea-launched cruise missile, or SLCM-N. While the Biden administration has attempted to cancel this program multiple times, I have led the effort to maintain funding for this capability and successfully kept this program funded,” Lamborn writes on his website.
During HASC’s markup of the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act last summer, Lamborn had an amendment adopted to officially create a Navy program of record for the SLCM-N program after the initiative had not received the backing of the Biden administration (Defense Daily, June 22 2023).
“The nuclear threat environment is changing rapidly. China’s arsenal is expanding dramatically and Russia’s arsenal also continues to grow. We must adjust our nuclear posture and the best military advice we’ve received is to pursue the SLCM-N program,” Lamborn said of his amendment at the time.
Ultimately, the final version of the FY ‘24 NDAA supported a requirement for continued development of the SLCM-N, to include $70 million for the National Nuclear Security Administration to develop the weapon’s warhead (Defense Daily, Dec. 14).
Lamborn was also a strong proponent for keeping Space Command’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, where its interim headquarters were located, which the Biden administration ultimately affirmed last July, reversing a Trump administration recommendation to base the command in Huntsville, Alabama (Defense Daily, July 31).
“I commend the Biden Administration for prioritizing national security above political interests and keeping USSPACECOM in its rightful home at Peterson Space Force Base. This decision aligns with the best military advice of countless senior military leaders who all agree that Peterson Space Force Base is the most viable option for USSPACECOM to reach full operational capability the fastest and is the best permanent home for its long-term operations,” Lamborn said in a statement at the time.
House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) is likely to continue placing pressure on the Space Command basing decision, previously vowing that the “fight is far from over.”
Army Gen. James Dickinson, the head of U.S. Space Command, declared in December that the command has officially reached full operational capability (Defense Daily, Dec. 15).