CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
Aug. 10, 2009 – 1:37 p.m.
Governors Object to Pentagon Disaster Proposal
The National Governors Association opposes a Defense Department proposal to expand the military’s authority to respond to domestic disasters.
In a letter Friday to Paul N. Stockton, assistant secretary of Defense for homeland defense and Americas’ security affairs, the governors said the proposal could lead to confusion over who’s in charge during domestic emergencies and unnecessarily duplicate response efforts.
“We are concerned that the legislative proposal you discuss in your letter would invite confusion on critical command and control issues, complicate interagency planning, establish stove-piped response efforts, and interfere with governors’ constitutional responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of their citizens,” Govs. Jim Douglas , R-Vt., and Joe Manchin III , D-W.Va., wrote on behalf of the group.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment on the letter.
In their letter, the governors elaborate on their concerns over expanding the Pentagon’s independent authority to operate military forces in domestic incidents.
To carry out homeland defense and homeland security responsibilities, governors have to retain control over the domestic use of their National Guard and active and reserve military operating in their states, the letter said.
One of the key lessons of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita was the need for clear chains of command, the governors wrote.
“Without assigning a governor tactical control of [military] forces assisting in a response, and without the use of a dual-hatted National Guard commander to ensure coordination between [National Guard] and [federal] forces, strong potential exists for confusion in mission, execution and the dilution of governors’ control over situations with which they are more familiar and better capable of handing than a federal military commander,” they wrote.
A similar proposal was contained in the House’s version of the fiscal 2009 Defense authorization legislation but was removed in conference because of governors’ concerns, the letter said.
Comments
I totaly support the governors on this. It is a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution if passed. Cas for Senate!
Its good that finally someone around the States are discussing things like this with the Federal Goverrment. The fact that the USMilitary High Command is talking about such things is important. The same with the concern over National Security and planetary changes to the environment, whether it be climate or ice or hurricane or earthquakes. Someone got's to get a handle on the planning. Regards, dePaul Consiglio
States have not demonstrated their ability to handle major catastrophic events. This DOD proposal is a good opportunity for beginning a productive conversation and Governors should offer more solutions instead of disapproval.
http://www.barry.warmkessel.com/barry/6related.html#a CLIMATE CHANGE EXCUSE FOR US MILITARY INTERVENTION? - Aug 09, 2009 The aftereffects of the changes like wholesale population movements and pandemics would trigger conflicts that could dent local governments thus necessitating US military intervention, said the New York Times on Saturday quoting military and intelligence pundits. The interviewees raised concerns about ensuing 'terrorist movements' and regional destabilization. The daily said the changes could turn "sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia" to actual flashpoints. Accordingly, the Defense Department envisioned a contingency plan including "sophisticated Navy and Air Force weather programs and other government climate research programs at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration." Comet/Meteorite impacts cause climate change. CLIMATE CHANGE SEEN AS THREAT TO U.S. SECURITY - August 8, 2009 The changing global climate will pose profound strategic challenges to the United States in coming decades, raising the prospect of military intervention to deal with the effects of violent storms, drought, mass migration and pandemics, military and intelligence analysts say. Such climate-induced crises could topple governments, feed terrorist movements or destabilize entire regions, say the analysts, experts at the Pentagon and intelligence agencies who for the first time are taking a serious look at the national security implications of climate change. THE COMET'S TALE: EARTH IMPACT NATIONAL GUARD ASKED TO EXPLAIN 'INTERNMENT' JOBS - August 07, 2009 Campaign recruiting for workers at 'civilian resettlement facility' JOB TITLE: CORRECTIONS OFFICER – Internment/Resettlement Specialist Hmmmm! MILITARY HUSH-UP: INCOMING SPACE ROCKS NOW CLASSIFIED - 10 June 2009 A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com has learned. The upshot: Space rocks that explode in the atmosphere are now classified. "It's baffling to us why this would suddenly change," said one scientist familiar with the work. "It's unfortunate because there was this great synergy...a very good cooperative arrangement. Systems were put into dual-use mode where a lot of science was getting done that couldn't be done any other way. It's a regrettable change in policy." Scientists say not only will research into the threat from space be hampered, but public understanding of sometimes dramatic sky explosions will be diminished, perhaps leading to hype and fear of the unknown.
If it is not in the Constitution, then the FEDS are not allowed to do it. There is a reason for that: We are separate States with our own Constitutions and our own way of handling things. The FEDS have no business being involved in our domestic issues. I personally believe that the FEDS have no idea of what is in the Constitution of the United States or they wouldn't propose such things. And, all of them swore to uphold and defend it. I wish they had swore to read it too. I hope that these Governors will really get their act together and succeed from the current Union and form a new one. The current Federal Government workers and elected employees are evidently illiterate.
Any one remember what is written in the 10th Ammendment to the Constitution? This should be a nobrainer if the states would grow a pair.
Ben Smilowitz Executive Director, Disaster Accountability Project.
The dang National guardmen were illegally stationed in Iraq the last three times they were needed here.... If the states had it's guard, and we didnt have Bush & co. at the time, no-doubt there would have been Far less death. Omf-g, how can anyone really trust Anything that comes out of this federal "govt" anymore..... States governors, yes, by All Means Resist the Federal "govt" when they try this sort of militarization of the U.S.
Ben Smilowitz> You are wrong. Hurricane Katrina was made worse by FEMA in many ways. They did not allow any civilain help in, including medical ships, multiple trucks of goods from Walmart, a flotilla of 500 ships carrying supplies and doctors. FEMA shipped tons of ice over a thousand miles, never to be used, a total waste. Civilians rushed to aid in Katrina and the Federal government made it worse. The federal government is a bloated bureaucracy which wastes money. More authority means more waste.
Ben Smilowitz, that scares me. The states are ineffective because they rely too much on the feds (by design of the feds) - we need to reverse that trend. We need to return to a constitutional government so we no longer kill little brown people around the world for profit and tax ourselves into oblivion. Federal government has one goal: to maintain its supremacy and power. They act in more ways to stifle freedom and liberty as well as make us less secure as they march around the world picking fights and starting wars as well as financing coups. The states want their rights back and each governor serves as that state's "president," and I give them full support to step up to bat.
Does anyone remember the John Warner Military Appropriations act of 2006 provisions to grant command authority of the National Guard units to the Pres, Vice Pres. Sec. of Defense or anyone they designate? It passed with this included in the legislation. Remember? If Governors think they have command they will have to act like it and see what happens. If the next 60 days are anything like what some are predicting, the governors will soon have the chance to find out if they try to contradict Northcom orders to all branches.
Ben Smilowitz you don't deserve a Constitution. We need our military forces home, inside the CONUS right now/ Have you all noticed the president is trying to seriously amp up the troop levels overseas? He is trying to get our troops abroad where they cannot oppose him and his insane plan to take control by force. Obama has gonre as far as he can through legal processes with the socialism plan, but never worry, the plan will continue via another path - martial law. Patriots, put your hope in God and let's spend more time before God than we spend freaking out - none of this has taken Him by surprise.
BEN SMILOWITZ is a troll. Looks like a cut and paste propaganda job. He posted: 'States have not demonstrated their ability to handle major catastrophic events. This DOD proposal is a good opportunity for beginning a productive conversation and Governors should offer more solutions instead of disapproval.' LOL.
Well this is a step backwards from the martial law the Federal Gov. have been pushing for, for October. The military did a power grab and the governors said, "no thanks." Hope it works.
Since the federal government knows nothing about the Constitution and Bill of Rights, perhaps we could take all of the money that was supposedly spent on the non-existent fence on the southern border, build a wall around Washington, DC while our representatives are still there, and the governors get together and form a new united States of America which represents and benefits the people.
I debunk conspiracy constantly in my college classes that I teach (government is one of them). But a "big picture" is developing reminiscent of the early days of totalitarianism in Europe. The governors conference is becoming the only real watchdog.
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