01 : Do states have a role in the decision to send American soldiers overseas?

Under our system of federalism, the role of states is grounded in the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It affirms that “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” It was the intent of the Founding Fathers that the states could and should weigh in on significant matters of policy.

Defend the Guard legislation does not nullify federal law. It only obligates the federal government to follow what is already federal law — Congress’ duty to declare war — as outlined in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

02 : How can state legislatures participate in the movement to bring our troops home and restore constitutional war powers at the federal level?

By passing Defend the Guard legislation, state governments can block the use of their National Guard units from being deployed into active combat overseas unless such action has been sanctioned by a formal declaration of war by the U.S. Congress.

Over 45% of the soldiers deployed in the Global War on Terror have been National Guardsmen. By withholding this resource of manpower, states can oblige the federal government to reign in its endless wars and ensure that the U.S. Constitution is obeyed.

03 : How does this legislation respond to the currently accepted method of Congress adopting an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)?

The enactment of an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is a shameful political dodge that defers ultimate decision-making to the Executive branch. By abdicating their responsibility, Congress is refusing to exercise its duty under the U.S. Constitution.

Under Defend the Guard legislation, an open-ended AUMF is not considered to be an Article I declaration of war.

04 : Has such legislation ever been introduced or passed by any state?

Yes.

The concept of Defend the Guard has multiple predecessors, but the modern iteration of the bill was first introduced in West Virginia by Delegate Pat McGeehan (R-Hancock) in 2015. In 2020, the Defend the Guard Act recieved a tied 50-50 vote in the West Virginia House of Delegates. The bill was adjourned sine die due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2023 the Arizona Senate became the first body to pass the Defend the Guard Act in a 16-13 vote. The Arizona Speaker of the House declined to assign the bill to a committee.

In January 2024 the New Hampshire House of Representatives passed the Defend the Guard Act in a 187-182 vote. The bill is pending in the New Hampshire Senate.

05 : Has the Supreme Court ruled that a state can ignore the demands of the Pentagon and the federal government?

In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “Congress may authorize members of the National Guard of the United States to be ordered to active federal duty for purposes of training outside the United States without either the consent of a State Governor or the declaration of a national emergency.”

“The question presented,” the late Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the unanimous majority, “is whether the Congress may authorize the President to order members of the National Guard to active duty for purposes of training outside the United States during peacetime.”

Or as Norman Beckman, Professor of Political Science at Howard University and Assistant Director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, observed: “The decision dealt only with the authority for calling Guard units for two weeks of active-duty training.”

Defend the Guard legislation addresses an entirely separate issue — whether a state can withhold its National Guard units from overseas combat deployments or combat-support operations absent a congressional declaration of war — that has not been tested by the court system. Three decades later, based on the writings of a majority of the current justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, we believe Defend the Guard legislation will be upheld if challenged.

06 : Is this movement likely to spread in 2024 and beyond?

Absolutely. To date, legislators in 26 states have introduced “Defend the Guard” bills, with legislators committed in multiple other states to do so in the coming weeks. We hope to see such legislation introduced in over thirty states by the conclusion of the 2024 legislative session.