During a floor speech, Congressman Paul Gosar took a moment to highlight Sen. Wendy Rogers’ “Defend the Guard Act”.
The bill, AZ SB1350, states that “the National Guard of Arizona may not eb released from this State into active duty combat unless the United States Congress has passed an official declaration of war or has taken an official action pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Clause 15, Constitution of the United States, to explicitly call forth the National Guard of Arizona for the enumerated purposes of executing the laws of the Union, repelling an invasion or suppressing an insurrection.”
I have served in this body for over a decade, and it’s clear to me that Congress has no interest in picking up its constitutional prerogative or making itself accountable to the voters.
In their absence, I believe the need for action must devolve to the states. Federalism requires as much.
In Arizona, State Senator Wendy Rogers has introduced a bill called the Defend the Guard Act. It stipulates that unless Congress has formally declared war, Arizona National Guardsmen are prohibited from being deployed into active combat overseas. Rogers is a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served for twenty years in the U.S. Air Force. And I think she speaks for a lot of soldiers who are tired of being sent into undeclared, no-win wars that go on for decades.One of America’s finest soldiers, two-time Medal of Honor recipient and Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler, said of our troops, ‘‘We Americans who will protect our flag should have a voice in where it is flown.’’
I agree. The United States of America has the greatest, bravest fighting force in the history of the world. And if Congress has one ounce of respect for their courage and sacrifice, and the founding document they swore an oath to defend with their lives, we would vote before ever sending them into battle.
Our names should be on the dotted line before their boots ever hit the ground, whether in Ukraine or anywhere else in the world. And until Congress declares war as required by the Constitution, not a single Guardsmen from Arizona or any other state should be deployed into combat.
I believe Arizona ought to be the first state to pass the Defend the Guard Act and lead the way in protecting our sons and daughters in uniform from federal abuse and challenge this Congress to start following every part of the U.S. Constitution.
HON. PAUL A. GOSAR OF ARIZONA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, February 3, 2022