Governors from across the country have called on the President numerous times to extend the use of Title 32 for National Guard operations in response to and recovery from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
While we appreciate the Administration’s support over the past few months, short-term extensions and last-minute authorizations are adversely impacting and disrupting state plans and operations.
Governors strongly urge the President to authorize an extension of Title 32 today. Unnecessary delays in extending Title 32 create significant challenges for states and territories, which are amplified in the middle of a crisis.
Though the current extension is authorized until Aug. 21, duty status cannot be changed on a dime. Over the weekend, states and territories were already forced to start the transition process for guard members to ensure compliance with required quarantine policy. Likewise, states and territories will begin the paperwork and training of new guard members in state active duty starting today.
Any further delay will make a challenging situation more challenging.
As governors wrote to the President in May, we urge the President to continue to extend the use of Title 32 as part of COVID-19 recovery and reopening efforts, which is still critically necessary today, and likely until a vaccine is available.
