Bush Seeks New Power Over National Guard
All 50 state governors and the governor of Puerto
Rico are opposing a White House effort to wrest control of the National Guard in
times of crisis from the states.
All 50 state governors and the governor of Puerto Rico are opposing a White House effort to wrest control of the National Guard in times of crisis from the states. The move comes almost exactly a year after the White House and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco squared off on this very issue in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans was flooded by failed levies.
The House of Representatives included in its version of the 2007 defense authorization bill a provision that would give the president control over Guard troops during “a serious natural or man-made disaster, accident, or catastrophe that occurs in the United States, its territories and possessions, or Puerto Rico.”
This could be done without the governor’s consent, according to the legislation.
Did anyone ever imagine a US government so careless of States’ rights that it would propose legislation like this — without consultation or input from the governors?
Did anyone ever imagine a government that would do this — would be run by people calling themselves Republicans?
Posted: Tue - August 15, 2006 at 06:14 AM