On February 4th, the Virginia House of Delegates voted UNANIMOUSLY to pass the ‘Defend the Guard Act.' The vote was 99-0 and the act is meant to keep the Virginia National Guard from deploying to foreign conflicts without a congressional declaration of war, as is required by the United State Constitution. This requirement has never changed, despite the fact that no such declaration has occurred since World War 2.

On February 6th, Montana State Representative Lee Deming of Laurel reintroduced the same act, known as House Bill 404. It's title reads -  Require official action to release Montana national guard to active duty combat. Deming first introduced this critical piece of legislation during the 2023 session, only to see it fail during its second reading on the House floor. The act was the first in the nation to pass a committee hearing, and is supported this session by numerous co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle. It is also supported by combat veterans across Montana. This author testifies to this bill in legislatures across the nation, has seven deployments to combat and hazardous duty zones all over the world, and is an expert on all aspects of this bill and those areas within the Department of Defense where opponents would claim this bill impacts - it does not impact any of them.

The date, time, and location of the bills' committee hearing is not determined yet, but the Armed Forces Press will publish educational articles to ensure the public and the legislature are full informed about the bill. We will expand on why there is no cost to this legislation, and therefore should be no fiscal note, and why none of the concerns raised by the opposition are valid, but only scare tactics.

THE FACT IS, THIS IS THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD, CONSTITUTIONALLY ALIGNED BILL THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE WILL SEE THIS SESSION.

Please stay tuned for more information concerning this legislation, and for articles supporting its passing.

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