States: Federal authority to call up National Guard for Iraq has expired

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/30548

States: Federal authority to call up National Guard for Iraq has expired
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2008-01-29 20:52. Nonviolent Resistance

Legislation introduced today in Vermont to recall the Guard

Legislation also planned for Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island; being explored for Maine, Maryland, and Wisconsin


(Washington, D.C.) — A bill introduced today declares that the 2002 federal authorization to call up the State National Guard has expired, and would set in motion steps to recall members of the Vermont Guard. Similar legislation will be introduced by legislators in Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, and is under active discussion in a half-dozen other states, notably Wisconsin, Maine, and Maryland.

Rep. Michael Fisher, lead sponsor of the Vermont bill, stated that, “it is clear that the mission that Congress authorized no longer exists. The President has no current or permanent legal authority to keep Guard members in Iraq. The Governor as Commander-in-Chief of the Vermont National Guard should take necessary steps to bring them home.”

The Vermont bill would limit future Vermont National Guard service to state duties unless properly called into federal service.

Ben Manski, executive director of the pro-democracy group, Liberty Tree, said that, “the debate over the Iraq War changed today in a simple, but profound way. This legislation is limited to recalling the Guard in the absence of congressional authorization. Yet as an attorney who has studied these questions, it strikes me that with this legislation, the states have begun to reassert their historic national defense responsibilities and to honor the Constitution's genius for distributing power over issues of war and peace.”

Said Karen Dolan, director of Cities for Peace, which has coordinated hundreds of local and state governmental anti-war resolutions, "This development comes in the context of millions of people speaking up at the local and state levels in opposition to the war. Over 300 communities and twelve states have voiced outrage over sending our troops to Iraq as a matter of morality and policy. This bill says it is unlawful to keep National Guard troops in Iraq.”

In addition to the Vermont legislation, announced at today’s press conference in Montpelier by Rep. Michael Fisher and Senate President Pro-Tempore Peter Shumlin, legislators in Minnesota (Rep. Frank Hornstein, 651-296-9281), New Hampshire (Rep. Charles Weed, 603-352-8309), Pennsylvania (Rep. Tony Payton, 215-744-7901), and Rhode Island (Rep. David Segal, 401-432-7049), will sponsor similar National Guard legislation.

Legislators in six other states, notably Maryland (Sen. Jamie Raskin, 301-858-3634), Maine (Rep. Ted Koffman, 207- 288-5015), and Wisconsin (Rep. Spencer Black, 608-266-7521), are working on the issue and considering following suit.

# # #

MORE INFORMATION:
Vermont’s Guard Defederalization Bill and other resources:
www.libertytreefdr.org/guard.php

[Nickster]

1. Thank God. Let's hope this gets some traction.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Any links to actual bills?

I would love to see my state legislators introduce a similar bill in this year's short legislative session.

[babylonsister]

4. Not yet; I just googled for bill numbers for you, but haven't found anything. nt

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Thanks anyway

If you do come across something, though, please post it. It would be very interesting to see how such bills are drafted.

[mainegreen]

3. Saucy

:thumbsup:

[pleah]

6. Hope they get it done. I don't think they should ever have been sent to Iraq.