Can governors just call out the Nat'l Guard to handle problem situations?

[raccoon]

They don't need the POTUS's permission, do they?

I was watching DATELINE last night, about the Nola after Katrina, and I wondered about why didn't Gov. Blanco call out the National Guard much sooner than they finally arrived.

[Gaedel]

1. Unless the unit has been federalized

The governor can call them up any time he wishes to.

George Wallace called up the NG to prevent integration of a college. The president then called the same unit into federal service (while it was on the college steps) and ordered them to aid integration.

The LA NG was not very tightly wired and their response was pretty poor.

[mike r]

2. Yes. Insurrection Act of 1807

But the law was changed after Katrina to allow the president to go over a governor’s head and activate the National Guard when there is a natural disaster or public emergency and the governor is not acting fast enough.

[zipplewrath]

3. Numerous factors

Guard troops at the time were heavily burdened supporting the war in Iraq. Also, the guard available for the state to call up wouldn't necessarily have the equipment and resources that were needed. Additionallly, much of the guard that might have been called up were potentially victims of the storm as well, not to mention many of them being various "first responders" such as police, fire, and EMT personnel that may have already been engaged with the disaster.

There were many mistakes made during that mess, and I don't mean to some how "defend"Blanco, but I do remember some discussion of these problems being had during the course of the disaster.

[Statistical]

4. That is why the guard units should have been called up PRIOR to landfall.

We routinely do it in VA and on much smaller huricaines and nowhere in VA is a city below sea level.

Not calling up guard, mobilizing them, and moving them to higher ground PRIOR to landfall is abject incompitence. There is nothing to defend.

[atreides1]

5. Cost

If the governor calls out the National Guard in times of disaster, the state is responsible for paying the tab. If the Guard is activated by the fedrral government, they get paid by the feds.

This is just one example, and I'm not saying that's why Governor Blanco waited.



Why did Governor Brewer of Arizona request that President Obama put National Guard troops on the border, instead of doing it herself.

In her case, I can believe it was all about the money!