Shanahan will continue to lead Space Force discussion in new role

By Courtney Albon / January 2, 2019 at 3:58 PM

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will remain the Pentagon's point person for shaping a legislative proposal for a new Space Force.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Joe Buccino confirmed the responsibility would remain in Shanahan's purview, even though it was originally delegated to him while he served in the deputy defense secretary role.

Shanahan and a team of top DOD officials submitted their proposal for a new Space Force to the White House late last year, and the final version of the plan will be released next month with the fiscal year 2020 budget request.

The Pentagon had reportedly been weighing whether the new service would reside under the Air Force's authority or stand alone as its own department -- which is the model President Trump initially called for last summer. Multiple sources have said the Pentagon's proposal favors the former option, but it's unclear whether the White House will accept something that differs from the president's original intent.

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