Letter Regarding Fiscal Year 2021 Defense Appropriations

June 4, 2020

Dear Chairman Visclosky, Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member Calvert and Vice Chairman Durbin:

From wildfires to hurricanes, flooding and landslides, our nation continually calls on our National Guard, illustrating the importance of Guard equipment readiness. Guard domestic operations include the use of helicopters, cargo aircraft such as the C-130s, medical evacuation aircraft and numerous vehicles, especially Humvees. This equipment is essential to every disaster relief and public safety mission our states must undertake daily, while also being utilized in overseas missions to support the Total Force.

Congress has been instrumental in funding efforts to help modernize C-130s, F-15s, F-16s, Blackhawks and Humvees in the past. The readiness of the National Guard is dependent upon this continued funding. As Congress looks towards the Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations process, NGA requests that you prioritize the following funding efforts in support of our Guard and states:

Responding to Coronavirus: States and localities are at the forefront of health crises, and novel coronavirus is no exception. Likewise, over 40,000 National Guard members are supporting COVID-19 operations, with 47 states and three territories approved for the use of Title 32. NGA requests increased funding for Title 32 operations via National Guard personnel and operations and maintenance accounts, as well as consider funding the use of hazardous duty incentive pay for all COVID-19 related missions.

Modernized Equipment: New and well-maintained vehicles and aircraft ensure greater reliability, more efficiency, and most importantly, readiness for life-saving missions on a moment’s notice. The National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account (NGREA) and the Guard Humvee Modernization Program remain top priorities for governors and our adjutants general across the country.

Additionally, the Guard should also be considered for the procurement of the MQ-1C Grey Eagle to ensure parity with the active component. NGA supports continued investment in these procurement programs to help modernize National Guard equipment, ensuring an operational National Guard that can respond to missions both at home and overseas.

Restoring Critical Funding: Governors commend you and your committee for working annually, at the request of the nation’s governors, to include increased investment in the procurement of National Guard vehicles, aircraft and critical infrastructure. The readiness of the National Guard is paramount to protecting the homeland. Time and time again, with increasing frequency, the National Guard must answer the call to protect us from wildfires and hurricanes; flooding and landslides; and threats against our global and homeland security. NGA requests that you work to reverse the reprogramming of critical National Guard accounts and restore the funds that were diverted towards border wall construction.

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA): NGA requests that Congress provide increased funds to Guard accounts to help identify, test and remediate these contaminants at military installations.

Full-Time Support Positions for the National Guard: Governors and our adjutants general continue to support the growth of National Guard personnel end-strength and the increase of full-time support (FTS) positions. Without this increase, governors continue to have serious concerns about the Guard’s ability to maintain a level of readiness that achieves both operational requirements and governors’ immediate response needs in the states. We believe that the Air National Guard’s FTS levels are on par with the stated goal of meeting its validated requirement, but governors remain concerned that the Army National Guard full-time support levels are, at this time, not meeting the needs of the Nation. NGA requests Congress provide adequate personnel funding to support growth in FTS positions for the National Guard.

Counterdrug Program: States across the country benefit from the National Guard counterdrug program, which helps to support drug interdiction efforts and assists local law enforcement agencies. This critical program encourages continued state-federal partnerships. NGA encourages Congress to ensure stable and predictable funding to support growth of the National Guard Counterdrug Program.

Thank you for your continued support these top NGA priorities for Fiscal Year 2021 Defense Appropriations and for our National Guard.

Sincerely,

Cc:
Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations