Political Quotes

“across the country, our guardsmen are on the frontlines of our national security. They are on the frontlines of our national security, securing our cities and our border, and, most commonly, leading natural disaster recovery efforts in our various States. In 2022, over half of the National Guard's members responded to natural disasters, including wildfires, hurricanes, winter storms, tornadoes, and even volcanoes. The National Guard's motto is ``Always Ready, Always There,'' and yet there is an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle jeopardizing the readiness of Guard assets for future missions. When the National Guard is used in a State Active-Duty status for missions like disaster response, the State may use Federal equipment to complete the mission but must reimburse the Federal National Guard Bureau for the associated expenses. Current law requires those reimbursements to flow through the Treasury Department rather than the Guard unit incurring the expense. Why does this matter? Well, it matters because we need to get rid of this unnecessary step that is harming the States and the Guard. The amendment simply directs reimbursements to the appropriate Guard unit directly, the unit where the asset resides, to ensure its readiness for future missions. If we are going to expect the Guard to be always ready and always there, we must streamline the State Active-Duty reimbursement process and ensure the Guard is made whole.”