Defend the Guard legislation would prohibit Minnesota's National Guard units from being deployed into active combat without a formal declaration of war by Congress, as provided by the U.S. Constitution.
Our country should not go to war until Congress votes to declare it. Our soldiers should not put their boots on the ground until members of Congress put their names on the dotted line.
The goal of Defend the Guard legislation, a project of Bring Our Troops Home, is to have states use their inherent, sovereign authority to rebalance war powers between the branches of the federal government.
State legislators have an essential, civic obligation to their constituents to demand that the federal government adhere to congressional wars powers as mandated by Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution. Without an official declaration of war by the U.S. Congress, states have a duty to withhold their troops from active combat.
The sole objective of the Defend the Guard movement is to obligate the federal government to obey the U.S. Constitution before sending our precious sons and daughters to fight more endless wars.