Slate of Texas Veterans and Other Supporters To Testify In Favor of Passing "Defend the Guard" Legislation
Monday, March 29th, 10:00 a.m. (CST)
Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee
Room E2.028, 2nd Floor
Capitol Extension Building
State Capitol, Austin
On Monday, half a dozen residents of Texas, including combat veterans, public officials, and foreign policy experts will testify in front of the House Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee in favor of House Bill 2701, the "Defend the Guard Act," sponsored by Rep. Bryan Slaton (R-District 2). This bill would prohibit the Texas National Guard from being deployed into active combat overseas without a formal declaration of war by Congress as stipulated by the U.S. Constitution.
This legislation is endorsed by the state platform of both the Republican and Democratic Party of Texas.
From the Texas Republican Platform: "Congress shall not abdicate the war powers to the executive branch except when under imminent threat and not to be used as a preemptive strike unless approved by Congress. The Texas National Guard should only be deployed to overseas combat zones under authorization of Congress through a declaration of war."
From the Texas Democratic Platform: "Our policies should prioritize prevention and diplomacy through our State Department, with military action used only as a last resort and authorized only as allowed by our Constitution."
In 2021, "Defend the Guard" legislation will be introduced in 31 state legislatures across the United States by both Republican and Democratic representatives. It's endorsements range across the political spectrum from the national Vets for Trump organization, to the West Virginia affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. In Maine, a post of the American Legion unanimously approved a resolution supporting such legislation, and is currently in progress towards approval from the Legion nationally.
Scheduled to testify Monday in favor of HB 2701 are:
- Dan McKnight, Afghanistan veteran, founder and Chairman of BringOurTroopsHome.US, service in U.S. Army, Army National Guard, and U.S. Marine Corps Reserves
- Former Maine state Sen. Eric Brakey, now a resident of Austin, Texas
- Jeff Lyons of Austin, Texas, disabled combat veteran with the U.S. Navy
- Diego Rivera of Austin, Texas, a U.S. Army Ranger and Iraq War veteran
- Luis LaRotta of Houston, Texas, a U.S. Navy combat veteran who helped add the "Defend the Guard" policy to the Texas GOP platform
- Scott Horton of Austin, Texas, author of Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War In Afghanistan and Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism, and director of the Libertarian Institute and editorial director of Antiwar.com
- Brian Sharpe of Houston, Texas, U.S. Army veteran and graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
"Defend the Guard legislation is just one element of our organization's effort to persuade President Biden and Congress to bring U.S. troops home from two-decade old wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries," said McKnight.
Numerous public opinion polls indicate a growing majority of support for the move among active duty military personnel, veterans, and the public at large.
Numerous public opinion polls indicate a growing majority of support for the move among active duty military personnel, veterans, and the public at large.
- A January 2021 poll by Concerned Veterans for America found that 54 percent of all Americans, 67 percent of veterans, and 59 percent of military households supported a Presidential order “that all U.S. troops be removed from Afghanistan”; similarly, the same poll found that 53 percent of all Americans, 68 percent of veterans, and 61 percent of military households supported an order “that all U.S. troops be removed from Iraq.”
- A poll in November 2020 found that 68 percent of young Republicans, an equal share of young Democrats, and 71 percent of young Independents agree the U.S. should stay out of international conflicts and only become involved when we are forced to, Marketing Research Foundation announced.
- In July 2020, a poll commissioned by the Charles Koch Institute found that among 2,000 U.S. adults, 44 percent said they strongly support and 30 percent somewhat support (74 percent total) bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq; similarly, 46 percent said they strongly support and 30 percent somewhat support (76 percent total) bringing troops home from Afghanistan.
- In April 2020, Concerned Veterans for America released a poll which found that 73 percent of the 1,500 veterans and military families polled supported full and immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
- In January 2020, YouGov released a poll finding that roughly 70 percent of all Americans surveyed supported withdrawal of U.S. troops from both Afghanistan and Iraq.
- In October 2019, Rasmussen Reports found that 58 percent of likely U.S. voters and 69 percent of Republicans agreed with former President Trump’s statement that “it’s time for us to get out of these ridiculous endless wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home.”
- In June 2019, Pew Research Center found that 64 percent of veterans and 62 percent of Americans said the war in Iraq was not worth fighting, while 58 percent of veterans and 59 percent of Americans said the war in Afghanistan was not worth fighting.
- In April 2019, Concerned Veterans for America found that 60 percent of veterans and military families supported withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan – meaning support for that position grew by 13 points from April 2019 to April 2020.
- In January 2019, a Politico poll found that 81 percent of Trump voters supported withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
- Over Veterans Day in November 2018, a poll by Stars and Stripes magazine found that 84 percent of military service personnel and veterans agreed that the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq have “been going on too long.”
The speakers lined up for Monday's committee hearing are available for phone interview or to appear as a guest on any news talk or public affairs program.
Thanks for your consideration.
Hunter DeRensis, Communications Director
BringOurTroopsHome.US
814-937-5910
Thanks for your consideration.
Hunter DeRensis, Communications Director
BringOurTroopsHome.US
814-937-5910
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