[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 30, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1340-S1342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BOND (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, and 
        Ms. Snowe):
  S. 430. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the 
national defense through empowerment

[[Page S1341]]

of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the enhancement of the 
functions of the National Guard Bureau, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today I introduce legislation about the 
National Guard with Senator Kit Bond, my fellow co-chair of the 
Senate's National Guard Caucus, and Senator Ben Nelson, a longtime 
caucus member and a subcommittee chair of the Senate Armed Services 
Committee. The National Guard Empowerment Act of 2007 would improve the 
management of the National Guard, and it will give the Guard more 
responsibility in improving our defense arrangements at home, where the 
Guard works in tandem with the Nation's governors to help keep our 
communities safe. This legislation will strengthen the National Guard, 
the military, and our Nation, and I believe it is something that 
deserves our attention and approval.
  As Senators, we know all too well the many ways in which our 
communities rely on the National Guard. The soldiers of the National 
Guard, like their active duty counterparts, have expended an 
extraordinary amount of will and sacrifice in the wars in Afghanistan 
and Iraq. The National Guard comprised almost 50 percent of the forces 
on the ground in Iraq less than 2 years ago, and now, as the Pentagon 
plans to implement the President's plans for a troop escalation, the 
percentage of Guard troops on the ground is set to rise once again.
  At the same time, we are constantly witness to the equally heralded 
work that the National Guard has done to increase security at home. 
Along with efforts to increase security along both the northern and 
southern borders, the Guard has bolstered security at special events 
across the country, including the Olympics, the national political 
party conventions, and events here in our Nation's capital. Most 
importantly, the National Guard provided the best--the very best--
response of any agency, Federal, State or local, in the disastrous 
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, sending tens of thousands of troops to 
the hardest-hit communities in relatively short order.
  When you look at these examples, it is indisputable that the National 
Guard is only limited in what it can do for us by the authorities, 
policies, available equipment, responsibilities, and support that we 
give them.
  It is time to give the Guard more tools and support to effectively 
carry out these responsibilities.
  With the knowledge that the use of the National Guard is sure to 
increase in the future, the President, the Secretary of Defense, and 
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs need unfettered and unmediated advice 
about how to utilize the force, whether balancing both the domestic and 
overseas missions of the National Guard or using the Guard to support 
the Nation's governors in domestic emergencies. Given this need for 
greater input on Guard matters, it is only logical that the leadership 
within the National Guard should be the ones doing the advising. And, 
as the Guard becomes more active within the military's total force, it 
only makes sense to increase the number of Guard generals at the 
highest reaches of the military command, where key force management 
decisions are made.
  At the same time, the National Guard is in a position to deal with 
some of the basic missions at home that are simply not being address by 
the Department of Defense. We have some real heroes at the recently 
established Northern Command, which is working with various civilian 
agencies to prevent another attack at home. Yet, the processes to deal 
with the mission of having military support of civilian authorities in 
domestic emergencies are as yet undefined.

  Northern command, meanwhile, is taking only perfunctory input from 
the nation's governors who, along with local officials, will bear much 
of the responsibility in disaster situations. Five years after 
September 11, we cannot wait to give more definition to how the 
military will support civil authorities in an emergency, and we cannot 
wait until an actual emergency to inform State governors about what 
resources are available to them. With some new authorities, we can give 
the Guard the mission of leading the effort to support civilian 
authorities at home and in working with the States and governors to 
plan for such disasters.
  Elevating the National Guard bureaucratically, increasing the quality 
advice on the Guard to the senior command, and improving response to 
domestic emergencies are exactly what the provisions of the National 
Guard Empowerment Act will accomplish.
  First, the National Guard Empowerment Act elevates the Chief of the 
National Guard Bureau from the rank of lieutenant general to general 
with four-stars, with a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This move 
will give the Nation's governors and adjutants general a straight line 
of communication to the Joint Chiefs Chairman, the Secretary of 
Defense, and the President. Having personnel with more knowledge and 
experience with the Guard involved in key budget and policy 
deliberations, the branches of the active duty services will be less 
willing to try to balance budgets on the back of the reserve forces 
like the Guard, which only goes against our overall ability to respond.
  Second, the act gives the National Guard the responsibility of 
working with the States to identify gaps in their response 
capabilities, of setting equipment requirements, and procuring these 
much needed items. The act will ensure that a National Guard commander 
is the deputy commander of Northern Command and that the Guard--and 
thus, in turn, the governors--work in tandem with the command to set 
out specific plans to support our elected and civilian leaders in an 
emergency.
  Let me be clear about what this legislation does not do. The Guard 
Empowerment Act does not make the National Guard a separate armed 
service. The Guard will remain an integral partner of the Army and the 
Air Force. Nor is the act some kind of wanton power grab. Instead, the 
act would bring the National Guard's bureaucratic position in line with 
what it is already doing and what we will expect of it in the future. 
Passage of the act will, utmost, not disturb or undermine our defense 
arrangements. Rather, it will empower the entire military to deal with 
critically important problems that it is simply not addressing.
  This legislation has been carefully crafted over the past year and a 
half, and it incorporates the input we received from the adjutants 
general, the National Guard leadership, the governors, and key officers 
across the defense establishment. I would like to submit for the Record 
letters of support from the National Guard Association of the United 
States, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United 
States, and the Adjutants General Association of the United States.
  This drive to empower the Guard is also gaining momentum in Congress. 
Since 9/11 we have been asking the Guard to do more and more, and they 
have superbly handled their dual role at home and abroad. But strains 
are showing in the system. The Guard is a 21st century military 
organization that has to operate under a 20th century bureaucracy. The 
Guard's ability to help the Nation is limited only by the resources, 
authorities, and responsibility we give it. Let us put the trust in the 
men and women of the Guard that they have deserved and earned, by 
giving them the seat at the table that they need.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that letters of support be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                        National Guard Association


                                   of the United States, Inc.,

                                 Washington, DC, January 25, 2007.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Leahy: The National Guard Association of the 
     United States continues to support the critical changes that 
     were included in the National Defense Enhancement and 
     National Guard Empowerment Act of 2006. We appreciate your 
     efforts, along with Senator Bond, in introducing a new bill 
     in the Senate that incorporates these same areas of concern.
       S. 2658 was a bold step in the last session to provide the 
     National Guard with an adequate voice in the deliberations of 
     the Department of Defense as together we meet the future 
     threats to the nation, both here at home and overseas.
       As you know, NGAUS worked vigorously in 2006 to secure 
     passage of S. 2658 and we have continued that aggressive 
     support in hearings before the Commission on the National 
     Guard and Reserve. While we regret that their deliberations 
     have created some delay

[[Page S1342]]

     in implementing these key solutions to National Guard issues 
     we remain hopeful that they too will recognize the wisdom 
     contained in the National Guard Empowerment Act of 2007.
       Thank you for your assistance on behalf of the National 
     Guard. Please let us know how we may be of further assistance 
     in this endeavor.
           Sincerely,

                                             Stephen M. Koper,

                                          Brigadier General (Ret),
     President.
                                  ____

                                                 January 30, 2007.
     Hon. Ben Nelson,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Kit Bond,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Olympia Snowe,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       As you are most certainly aware the Adjutants General of 
     the 54 states, territories, and District of Columbia have 
     provided trained and ready National Guard forces to protect 
     the nation inside and outside of its borders in unprecedented 
     numbers since 9/11. Since then we have sought reform within 
     the Department of Defense for the National Guard to fully 
     transform from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve.
       We are united in support of the National Guard Empowerment 
     Act of 2007. The legislation contains key elements that will 
     enhance the ability of the National Guard to equip and train 
     for its dual role missions. Elevating the Chief, National 
     Guard Bureau to four-star rank is needed to ensure 
     representation at the highest levels when addressing homeland 
     security and National Guard usage. Making the National Guard 
     Bureau a joint activity in DoD responds directly to White 
     House recommendations contained in its report on Hurricane 
     Katrina. A greater National Guard presence is needed at 
     USNORTHCOM. Your legislation does this by requiring the 
     deputy commander to be a National Guard general. Other 
     provisions deal with expanding opportunities for National 
     Guard leaders to compete for top level assignments. Finally, 
     the legislation focuses on identifying and correcting 
     critical gaps in resources needed to protect U.S. citizens.
       Recent events have demonstrated again what we all already 
     know that the National Guard will continue to be needed at 
     unprecedented levels for missions impossible to contemplate. 
     The National Guard will be part of the build up in Iraq to 
     finally defeat terrorist and sectarian elements which will 
     require extraordinary sacrifices by families and employers. 
     The National Guard continues to assist in securing the 
     nation's southwest border.
       The National Guard Empowerment Act of 2007 is comprehensive 
     and visionary. It acknowledges how the nature of warfare and 
     national security has changed and offers bold changes to 
     reshape military leadership to meet new threats. Testimony 
     from DoD's highest leaders to the Commission on National 
     Guard and Reserve in December indicates that no other plan is 
     in work to strengthen the voice of the National Guard in the 
     halls of the Pentagon.
       You can count on support from the Adjutants General 
     Association of the United States in seeking critical changes 
     that will assure a strong National Guard ready to serve this 
     great nation domestically and fighting terrorism.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Roger P. Lempke,
     Major General, President.
                                  ____



                                                       Eangus,

                                 Alexandria, VA, January 25, 2007.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Christopher Bond,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the 
     United States (EANGUS) is the only military service 
     association that represents the interests of every enlisted 
     soldier and airmen in the Army and Air National Guard. With a 
     constituency base of over 414,000 soldiers and airmen, their 
     families, and a large retiree membership, EANGUS engages 
     Capitol Hill on behalf of courageous Guard persons across 
     this nation.
       On behalf of EANGUS, and the soldiers and airmen it 
     represents, I'd like to communicate our support for 
     legislation to elevate the position of Chief National Guard 
     Bureau to General, to place the Chief on the Joint Chiefs of 
     Staff, and to enhance the responsibilities of the Chief of 
     the National Guard Bureau and the functions of the National 
     Guard Bureau. For years, the Chief of the National Guard 
     Bureau, and the National Guard as a whole, has deliberately 
     been in the shallow end of the resource pool, bearing the 
     brunt of budget cuts to the Army and Air Force, and having to 
     ``take it out of hide'' to accomplish federal and state 
     missions that were required by statute but not fully funded 
     by the services or Department of Defense.
       Our association stands firm in support of Congressional 
     action to remedy this long-endured and untenable situation. 
     The lack of trust and respect of the National Guard by DOD 
     political and military leaders, as well as the service 
     secretaries, the consistent under-funding of National Guard 
     appropriations accounts, and the intentional lack of 
     communication and coordination all have the probability of 
     being rectified by this legislation by making the National 
     Guard a full player in the decision-making and appropriations 
     process.
       Thank you for taking legislative action that is not only 
     timely, but unfortunately necessary, and long overdue. We 
     look forward to working with your staff as this legislation 
     works its way into law.
       Working for America's Best!
                                  MSG Michael P. Cline, USA (Ret),
                                               Executive Director.
                                 ______