COMMENTARY: Speaker of the Michigan House Matt Hall Must Initiate a Discharge Petition for House Bills 4163 and 4164
Bills Would Prohibit Illegal Release of the State’s National Guard Into Active Duty Combat
The Michigan House of Representatives may have hundreds of bills to hold votes on, but two of the most important bills yet are House Bills 4163 and 4164. These bills would prohibit the use of the State’s National Guard forces by the federal government unless Congress has first declared war under Article I Section 8 of the Constitution. During the Global War on Terror, approximately 45% of troops deployed were members of the National Guard, and that war was never declared by Congress. The proper role of the National Guard is to defend their local communities from natural and man-made emergencies (hence the motto "Always Ready, Always There!"). As such, the states have a critical leverage point against the military industrial complex - they can deprive the war machine of the manpower required to fight wars that have not been declared by Congress.
A discharge petition (also known as a motion to discharge) will force the bills to be released from the Government Operations committee to the State House Floor for a vote, contingent on approval by a majority vote of the elected representatives. Once out of committee, a majority vote of the elected representatives will again be required to advance the bills to the State Senate. National Guard generals have been known to testify against this proposal during state legislative hearings, so a discharge petition can pre-empt them (and allow for quicker passage). The generals will claim that this law will cause the Michigan National Guard to lose federal funding and equipment. However, that is NOT true - federal funds and equipment provided to the National Guard of the states are appropriated for readiness and training, and not with the expectation that members will be used for unconstitutional and undeclared wars.
In order for these bills to become law, they must pass both chambers of the legislature before going to the Governor's office. The Governor will have the choice of signing or vetoing the bills. If the bills are vetoed, both chambers of the legislature will need to override the veto, and do so with a 2/3 majority vote.
The prospect of wars requiring the use of the National Guard looms large. Therefore, immediate action is essential to expedite these crucial bills and ensure they come up for a vote in the State House of Representatives, which is the first step.
If you live in Michigan, please contact House Speaker Matt Hall and tell him you want a motion to discharge initiated for the bills! Furthermore, with the information provided in this call-to-action, please also contact your local State House Representative (use this link to find out who it is) and tell him/her to support these bills!
Please also sign this petition that I have created to show stronger support.
Matt Hall's Contact Information
Phone Number: (517) 373-1784
Email: MattHall@house.mi.go