[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2038. Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. Bennet, and Mr. Leahy) submitted 
an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4049, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title V, add the following:

     SEC. ___. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ADVANCE PLANNING AND EXPEDITED 
                   ACTIVATION IN USE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD TO 
                   SUPPORT NATIONAL EMERGENCIES SUCH AS THE 
                   EMERGENCY IN CONNECTION WITH THE CORONAVIRUS 
                   DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19).

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the President continues to extend the use of the 
     National Guard under section 502(f)(2)(A) of title 32, United 
     States Code, for response to domestic emergencies such as the 
     Coronoavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but such extensions 
     have come on an ad hoc basis;
       (2) the ad hoc nature of such extensions, not based on 
     transparent and known requirements, has led to uncertainty 
     and challenges in planning for many members of the National 
     Guard, their families, and their employers;
       (3) the process for activation of the National Guard for 
     such responses under such section 502(f)(2)(A) has been 
     unreasonable and cumbersome for State Governors and adjutants 
     general; and
       (4) Congress urges the Department of Defense to conduct 
     advance planning, in consultation with State Governors, for 
     the expedited activation of the National Guard under such 
     section 502(f)(2)(A) for use in responses to catastrophic 
     events and emergencies such as the emergency in connection 
     with the Coronoavirus Disease 2019, such that--
       (A) activation occurs only when the President and the 
     Governor of the State concerned declare an emergency in 
     connection with the same event;
       (B) activation occurs rapidly to meet emergency needs; and
       (C) members and units of the National Guard so activated 
     are afforded all applicable benefits under law for service 
     pursuant to such activation.
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