Air Force Two landed on a windy Monday afternoon at Vandenberg Space Force, bringing Vice President Kamala Harris and her message of outer space’s importance to national security and humanity’s imagination.
It marked the first time a U.S. vice president has visited Vandenberg since Vice President Mike Pence stopped at the base in 2019.
Vice President Harris came at a time when Vandenberg is one of six bases across the country being considered for the headquarters of Space Training and Readiness Command, which supporters say could boost the Central Coast economy greatly and produce many new jobs. Ms. Harris didn’t address STARCOM in her speech but discussed norms and rules of responsible use of space and said that unlike Russia and China, the U.S. will not fire missiles at satellites. She said America is the first nation in the world to make that commitment.
On a day of tight security and Secret Service presence at Vandenberg, Vice President Harris exited Air Force Two with Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff. On the ground, she hugged U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, who was there with U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. Afterward, a motorcade took the vice president to closed briefings, and late in the afternoon, Ms. Harris emerged on stage in a building full of troops, elected officials and media.
For the full story, including a News-Press interview at Vandenberg with Rep. Carbajal, see Tuesday’s News-Press.
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, and Vice President Kamala Harris embrace after Air Force Two lands at Vandenberg.
