Supporting Our Military by Preserving Their Strength and Protecting Their Benefits, Funding Eligibility, and Right to Serve.
Tennessee's National Guard is family to us. They're our neighbors, our kids, our brothers, our sisters, and our coworkers. They raised their right hand and signed a blank check to the United States of America. They don't join to sit aside do nothing — they join to serve.
The "Defend the Guard" bill proposed in the 113th General Assembly sounds good, but it actually cripples our National Guard, harms our troops, and places the tax burden on Tennessee taxpayers.
Under their proposal, the President would be barred from calling up our National Guard for federal missions unless Congress issues a formal declaration of war. That hasn't happened since World War II. The National Guard has deployed under authorizations for the use of military force and other federal authorizations for decades. This bill would brings that to a sudden halt.
Why this is dangerous and un-American:
Our founding fathers addressed Articles of Confederation's weak militia system by giving the federal government ability to call forth the militia when necessary. To pass such legislation is to re-construct the old problem—leaving national defense weaker.
It puts our Guardsmen's benefits on the line. The benefits our troops are entitled to — VA eligibility, federal retirement credit, some health care and training opportunities — depend on the ability to serve federally. If politicians in Nashville prevent our National Guard from being federally activated, they put our soldiers' VA benefits and long-term careers at risk. That is not "defending" the Guard - it’s destroying it.
Recruiting and retention already face extreme challenges. Young men and women don't join the National Guard just to serve during state emergencies or disasters. They join to be part of America's military — to deploy with their unit when the nation calls them. Such legislation would likely create a further decline in retention, as soldiers would leave to go active duty. It would also likely deter young men and women from joining the National Guard in the first place.
As a result of a weakened National Guard and lowered retention, our response to state emergencies or disasters will be weakened. Fewer people joining and more people leaving means fewer trained soldiers when Tennessee gets hit by tornadoes, floods, or faces other emergencies. Hurting recruiting and retention is not a problem we want or need; it means fewer boots on the ground to pull families from the water, clear roads, secure schools, and support law enforcement when things go terribly wrong.
Tennessee receives more than 95% of its National Guard budget from the federal government. Let’s play this out - if Tennessee restricts the President of the United States from using the National Guard as it was constitutionally intended - then the federal government will reallocate funding, federal military equipment, and federal training opportunities to states who’s National Guards they can use to support the mission. According to the a publication in the 2024 Blue Book, the Tennessee National Guard has 2,702 federal employees. The passage of this bill would likely mean their jobs are gone - just like that. This means Tennessee will have only two choices: be complacent with a weaker National Guard, or make Tennessee taxpayers pay more to fill the gap of federal government funding.
A Real America First, Tennessee First Position:
President Trump rebuilt our military and believes in peace through strength. If we weaken one of the most ready, flexible, tested parts of that force — the National Guard — then we destroy that vision. China and Russia would love to see American states tie their own hands and take trained soldiers off the table.
I will defend our Guardsmen's right to serve - fully - as part of the United States armed forces.
I will advocate for the protection of their VA benefits, retirement, and careers by keeping federal activation on the table.
We must keep Tennessee's Guard strong enough to answer the call of our state and the nation.
We must protect Tennessee taxpayers from being forced to cover the defense bill.
This 'Defend the Guard' bill doesn't defend our Guard — it disables them. It makes it harder for our troops to earn their benefits, it destroys recruiting and retention, and it forces Tennessee taxpayers to choose between paying more or accepting a weaker National Guard. I won't support any policy that does that.
