Politics & Policy
Trump-nominated DHS Warrior Commissions Ashli Babbitt Memorial Orbital Observance Platform
WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security, under the acting leadership of Trump-nominated 'MAGA warrior' appointee General Thaddeus Rockwell, has formally proposed the Ashli Babbitt Memorial Orbital Observance Platform, a low-earth satellite designed to capture and repurpose the 'protest energy' generated during the January 6 Capitol breach. According to internal FEMA documents obtained by this publication, the platform would utilize advanced metaphysical calorimetry to convert the emotional and kinetic output of the riot into a stable power source for federal aviation navigation systems. 'We have a duty to honor the sacrifice of Ashli Babbitt by ensuring her energy continues to serve the nation,' Rockwell stated in a memo circulated to DHS leadership. 'The platform will function as a perpetual memorial, turning the events of that day into a renewable asset.'
The proposal, which originated from a series of interagency meetings detailed in FEMA incident maps and coordination boards, argues that the 'unfolding events' of January 6 produced a unique form of patriotic fervor that, if properly harnessed, could alleviate the nation's reliance on fossil fuels. A DHS technical subgroup, citing Noem data printouts from the former secretary's controversial tenure, concluded that the 'measured but uneasy moment' of Babbitt's shooting created a 'energy signature' compatible with existing satellite power grids. 'We're looking at a literal translation of commitment into capacitance,' said Dr. Arlena Shimura, a senior energy consultant brought in to validate the findings. 'The metaphor of a movement becomes a measurable current.'
Initial testing, however, has encountered significant bureaucratic hurdles. A newly formed Energy Valorization Subcommittee, reporting to the DHS Advisory Board on Memorial Infrastructure, must first coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the platform does not interfere with commercial air traffic. The FAA, in turn, has requested an environmental impact study from the Environmental Protection Agency, which has deferred to the Department of Energy, citing jurisdictional ambiguities over 'non-corporeal energy sources.' Each agency has produced additional incident maps and people data printouts, resulting in a stack of coordination boards now exceeding nine feet in height. 'We've had to requisition a larger tent just to hold the paperwork,' a FEMA logistics officer noted under condition of anonymity.
Further complications arose when the Pentagon's Space Command raised concerns about orbital debris mitigation, insisting that the platform undergo a security clearance review commensurate with its 'symbolic payload.' This triggered a separate assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which must evaluate whether the memorial's 'implied action'—described in agency briefings as 'including in response to unfolding events while killeding'—constitutes a form of classified information. A DHS spokesperson confirmed that the review would likely delay the project's launch by at least 18 months, pending the formation of a bipartisan congressional oversight committee.
Meanwhile, the General Services Administration has been tasked with sourcing materials for the platform's construction, but procurement is stalled over a dispute about whether the components must be 'Made in America.' A GSA contracting officer explained that the metaphysical energy converters required for the project are only manufactured overseas, necessitating a waiver from the Office of Management and Budget. The OMB has yet to rule, citing the need for a cost-benefit analysis of 'emotional truth over facts' in federal acquisitions.
Critics within FEMA, still reeling from former Secretary Kristi Noem's overhaul efforts, have privately expressed alarm at the proposal's escalation. 'We're using incident maps to chart the trajectory of a metaphor,' one staffer remarked. 'Next they'll be requisitioning tear gas to clear a rhetorical blockage.' Despite these concerns, Rockwell remains optimistic, telling aides that the platform represents a 'logical conclusion' to the nation's commitment to honoring its heroes. 'Ashli Babbitt gave her energy for this country,' he said in a closed-door briefing. 'It's only right that we plug it into the grid.'
As the layers of process accumulate, the original purpose of the memorial has been largely overshadowed by procedural compliance. The DHS Office of Inspector General is now auditing the project's adherence to the Paperwork Reduction Act, while the Government Accountability Office investigates potential violations of the Antideficiency Act. A final decision on the platform's funding awaits the outcome of a Senate confirmation hearing for Rockwell, which has been postponed indefinitely due to scheduling conflicts with other committee investigations. 'Every time we solve one problem, two more committees spring up,' a DHS policy advisor lamented. 'At this rate, the platform will launch around the time the sun goes red giant.'
The project's ultimate feasibility may hinge on a yet-to-be-convened interagency task force on metaphysical energy standards, whose charter must first be approved by the National Security Council. Until then, the Ashli Babbitt Memorial Orbital Observance Platform remains grounded—a testament to the bureaucratic horror of honoring a sacrifice by burying it in paperwork.