Conservative Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., doesn’t have much in common with liberal Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
Except when it comes to space, it seems.
Rubio and Feinstein recently teamed up to develop a part-time complement to the Space Force, first developed in 2019 under former President Donald Trump.
The new Space National Guard would be staffed by Air National Guard members responsible for conducting U.S. Space Force missions, and put them directly into the current Space Force command structure.
A companion bill was introduced to the House of Representatives in 2021 by Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo.
“Creating a Space National Guard would boost our military readiness and increase efficiency,” Rubio said in a statement. “It would also ensure that the Space Force retains needed talent. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this common-sense bill.”
Feinstein echoed her Senate colleague’s thoughts.
“Without a National Guard component for Space Force, we risk losing many talented individuals who want to keep serving their country and their states after they leave active duty, and that is simply unacceptable,” Feinstein said in her own statement.
“Creating a Space Force National Guard would also save money and ensure a smoother process in the event we need to activate personnel. Not establishing a Space National Guard was a mistake when Space Force was created, and this bill will remedy that.”
According to The Associated Press, the Space Force was launched in December 2019 by the Trump administration as the first new military service since the establishment of the Air Force as an independent entity in 1947.
It operates as part of the Air Force, much like the Marine Corps is a separate service but is overseen by the Navy.
Space Force currently is far smaller than any other branch of the military, but is acquiring the standard trappings of a service, including an official flag, logo, seal, and doctrine.
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.