Hegseth calls for contest to decide America's next military base

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday proposed a pitch-off between states to see who should host America's newest military base.

Why it matters: New military infrastructure is a major economic driver for states and can lead to political tug-of-wars, like the years-long fight between Colorado and Alabama to claim U.S. Space Command's headquarters.

• "If your state wants the honor of hosting 15- to 25,000 of America's great troops, show us why and how you're going to do it," Hegseth said during a speech in Quantico, Virginia.
• America's newest military installation is Colorado's Schriever Space Force Base, which was opened in 1985.

Zoom in: A memo from Hegseth called it a "joint military installation within the Homeland."

• The new base, Hegseth said in his speech, will sit on "hundreds of thousands of acres" and serve as a "dynamic, self-sustaining power projection platform" with modern air defenses and updated technology.
• He also said it should align with President Trump's preferred building style and be "a proud fortress of our Republic, built with timeless classical architecture."

Zoom out: Military construction is a "lengthy and complex process" and can take anywhere from five to seven years or more, according to the Congressional Research Service.

• The Defense Department and lawmakers must prioritize construction, budget funds and conduct additional legal and environmental reviews.
• Most military construction funding is appropriated by Congress, but CRS notes that there "are certain authorities that allow DOD to use funds" from other accounts for military construction activities "in certain situations."
• Hegseth said the process is aimed at avoiding "backroom Washington deals."

What they're saying: It's not clear how Hegseth can avoid Congress, said Katherine Kuzminski, the Center for a New American Security's director of studies.

• "It needs to be led not by the Pentagon, but by Congress because Congress holds the ultimate constitutional and budgetary authority to authorize and fund the establishment of a new military base," she said. "It presents a good opportunity for the secretary to work with Congress in a selection process of where we might want to see it located."

Bottom line: In the Sept. 30 memo, Hegseth's directed the assistant secretary for energy, installations, and environment to come up with an evaluation plan and timeline within two weeks.

• "We are calling on every governor and adjutant general across the country to step up to the plate and bring us your best sales pitch," he wrote.