Skeptics of the Space Force are warming to a new proposal to house the program within the Air Force until it is ready to become its own department, Politico reported.
“I actually think this is a promising proposal,” House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) told Politico. “Not sure we’re going to do it, but we can certainly work with it. … That’s probably a good template to work off of, and then the devil is in the details.”
Senate Armed Services Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), also skeptical of creating a new department, said he would “go ahead” and support the plan that is shaping up for probable inclusion in the formal budget request.
“If we could do it, centralize this under the Air Force, that would probably accomplish the same thing,” Inhofe told Politico. “At least it centralizes it.”
 
Sen. Jim Inhofe visits soldiers in Afghanistan. NATO photo by Capt. Leanna Litsch