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Crapo, Risch, Colleagues Oppose Air Force Proposal to Override Governors’ Authority, Strip National Guard Units
Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined a group of bipartisan, bicameral colleagues, to call on the U.S. Senate and House Armed Service Committees to reject a flawed proposal from the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The proposal would enable the transfer of U.S. National Guard units performing space missions to the U.S. Space Force and waive governor approval in the process, breaking precedent.
“We write regarding a deeply flawed legislative proposal put forward by the US Air Force that would undermine our National Guard system,” wrote the lawmakers. “The original intent of the National Guard was to have a force ready to respond to the needs of their state and country. Because of this, authority was placed in the hands of each state's individual governor. This is more than a matter of governance; governors bear the responsibility to protect the safety of their citizens by maintaining the readiness and deployability of their National Guard units.”