[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3763-H3764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REIMBURSE NATIONAL GUARD IMMEDIATELY FOR CAPITOL RESPONSE MISSION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Hawaii (Mr. Kahele) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KAHELE. Madam Speaker, ``Always Ready, Always There.'' That is 
the motto of our National Guard, our citizen soldiers, who, since 1636, 
have been prepared at all times as the first line of defense for our 
country.
  When a natural disaster strikes--hurricanes, wildfires, tsunamis, 
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions--who do we call? We call the National 
Guard.
  When a human-made disaster strikes--chemical spills, large-scale 
electrical power outages--who do we call? We call the National Guard.
  When States and local governments get overwhelmed because of 
situations beyond their control, who do those Governors, mayors, and 
State legislatures call? They call the National Guard.
  When a global health pandemic cripples the country, who do we call? 
We call the National Guard.
  And when an assault on our Nation's Capitol, a deadly insurrection, 
happens, who do we call to protect this hallowed beacon of democracy, 
to ensure a safe, peaceful transfer of power can occur? We called 
the National Guard.

  Every single time--``Always Ready, Always There''--the National Guard 
has answered the call. Our National Guard keeps us safe and has done so 
since the inception of our democracy.
  Following the deadly January 6 insurrection and leading up to the 
inauguration of our President and Vice President on January 20, 
Congress called upon the National Guard, and an unprecedented 26,700 
guardsmen from across the country were deployed to secure our Nation's 
Capitol and protect the very lawmakers and staff that work in this 
Capitol.
  The Guard then continued to serve and support civil authorities in 
Washington, D.C., for the next 137 days. They left their families. Many 
took unexpected leave from their civilian jobs during a health pandemic 
to report to our Nation's Capitol. They stood watch 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week, many times in the frigid cold in the dark of night.
  Many of us got to know them personally. We brought them food, coffee. 
We met them on the ramp at Andrews Air Force Base. We took pictures on 
the Capitol steps. We shook their hands and thanked them and their 
families for their service.
  Our National Guard fulfilled their duty bravely and completed their 
mission. Now, it is Congress' turn to not only pay our respects but pay 
the bill that is due. What bill? What am I talking about? Well, it cost 
$521 million to protect our Nation's Capitol for those 137 days.
  National Guard leadership, adjutant generals, and State Governors 
sent their guardsmen to our Nation's Capitol with the promise that 
those funds would be repaid in a timely manner. As a result, the Army 
and Air National Guard paid for the Capitol Response mission and 
fronted the money from their own fiscal year 2021 funding. Time is of 
the essence, and we must pay them the money that we owe immediately and 
before August 1.
  The reality is, if we fail to issue reimbursements by August 1, there 
will be real consequences. The National Guard Bureau has already sent 
out notices to States regarding canceling the remaining annual training 
days and/or canceling August and September drills. If training is 
canceled, several thousand guardsmen will not have enough service time 
this fiscal year to receive credit for a good year toward military 
retirement.
  Approximately 2,000 functional and occupational training schools will 
be canceled, affecting their readiness, pay, and career progression. 
Ground vehicle and rotary wing operations and maintenance will be 
halted. Air National Guard flying operations will be negatively 
impacted, as they just only now begin the recovery from the effects of 
the pandemic. The 54th Security Forces Assistance Brigade combat 
training center rotation next month, in August, will be canceled.
  Without reimbursement by August 1, it will take years to recover our 
readiness, which will be immediately impacted and decrease by up to 20 
percent.
  Those are some of the operational and readiness impacts of not 
meeting that August 1 deadline. But the real damages, Madam Speaker, 
are the profound personal impacts, which will have an immediate effect 
on the morale of those soldiers and airmen, their families, and 
retention across the 54 States and territories.
  The increased psychological stress on our National Guard 
servicemembers and families in an already highly stressed environment 
is absolutely unacceptable. They are being asked to suffer, to 
sacrifice, because this body,

[[Page H3764]]

Congress, is unable to meet its end of a good-faith agreement with 
State leaders fully expecting to be reimbursed and not having to ``take 
it out of hide,'' which is what the National Guard is being asked to do 
now.
  To put it simply, guardsmen--and I hear from them every single day--
are in absolute disbelief that after all they have done this last year, 
answering our Nation's call, this is how they are being treated.
  Madam Speaker, today is July 21. We have 11 days. We must take 
immediate action. I urge all of us in Congress to swiftly come to an 
agreement on an appropriations emergency bill that includes full 
reimbursement of $521 million for our National Guard by August 1. That 
is the least we can do for our citizen soldiers and their families who 
are always ready and always there.

                          ____________________