Governors Oppose President’s Control of Guard During Crises
The nation’s governors are closing ranks in opposition to a proposal in Congress that would let the president take control of the National Guard in emergencies without gubernatorial consent.
The idea, spurred by the chaos after Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi, is part of a House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate has not passed it.
The provision would remove the required consent of governors for the federalization of the Guard, which is shared between the individual states and the federal government.
Republican Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina said “a whole bunch of governors” were opposed to the idea after the proposed change was brought up in a private lunch at the summer meeting of the National Governors Assn.
About two dozen governors met here for three days of discussions. The association sent a letter of opposition to House leaders last week.
The language in the measure would let the president take control in the case of “a serious natural or man-made disaster, accident or catastrophe,” according to the association.
“The idea of federalizing yet another function of government in America is A, the wrong direction, and B, counterproductive,” Sanford said.
“The system has worked quite well, notwithstanding what went wrong with Katrina.”
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