This week, a committee in Idaho’s House of Representatives will take up the Defend the Guard Act, legislation that would prohibit the state’s National Guard from being deployed to combat zones without a formal declaration of war from Congress.
Idaho’s Senate has already passed a Defend the Guard bill, making it the third state legislature in the country to approve a version of the legislation. The Idaho House’s Transportation and Defense Committee is expected to vote on the bill this Friday.
“The last hill to climb in Idaho is in the House Transportation and Defense Committee,” Bring Our Troops Home, the organization behind the Defend the Guard Act, wrote on X.
If the bill passes the committee, it’s expected to be approved in a full House vote. “Once we’re out of committee, we believe the bill will land on the governor’s desk,” Bring Our Troops Home said.
Bring Our Troops Home is looking for volunteers to phone bank to help get the legislation passed through the House committee. Click here to volunteer, and if you live in Idaho, click here to sign a petition to support the bill.
Defend the Guard is a nationwide movement, and a version of the bill has been introduced in over 30 states. Go to Defendtheguard.us to see the status of the legislation in your state.
National Guard units are frequently deployed to wars in the Middle East and Africa, including in Syria and Somalia. The recent drone attack that killed three members of the US Army Reserve at Tower 22 in Jordan also wounded about 40 members of the Arizona National Guard.
It is intriguing that these “conservative” states are leading the way towards the path of anti-war.
… and surprising…!
Probably wouldn’t be the case if a Rethug was in the white house. Still making war more difficult to wage is a +
I think this is an excellent idea.