WASHINGTON — Some 25,000 National Guard troops have been called up to assist with COVID-19 response duties.
Under Title 32, the National Guard is authorized or directed by the President to mobilize or activate, usually for natural disasters, and typically, the federal government bears the full cost.
But in the case of COVID-19, President Trump, via an August 3 memorandum, has decided that the federal government will pick up 100 percent of the cost of that National Guard in just five states: Florida, Texas, Connecticut, California, and Arizona.
The remaining 45 states and territories must cover 25 percent of the cost.
"You've got to make what good for one state for all of us. We've still got National Guard out helping on testing around the state, and we need that federal match," said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia).
He has signed onto a letter to the President calling the decision "irrational" and "arbitrary and without justification."
Warner added, "We disrespect these National Guard members when we put them in that bind. They shouldn't have to worry about that they're going to get adequately compensated for the public service they're providing to our citizens."
Sen. Tim Kine (D-Virginia) said, "President Trump's decision to decrease funding for the National Guard in many states will significantly impact the Guard's work to keep people safe, and is yet another alarming example of the Trump Administration's mismanagement of this public health crisis."
In late July, nearly 200 Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen concluded more than three months of continuous sample collection and other missions in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s COVID-19 response efforts.
The White House has not commented on the funding disparity.
The Soldiers and Airman are assigned to the Richmond-based 34th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Yield Explosives Enhanced Response Force Package, which was activated after the Governor of Virginia’s emergency declaration earlier in 2020.
“The men and women of the 34th CERFP served on the front edge in support of our Commonwealth and Nation’s fight to end the global COVID-19 pandemic,” said Brig. Gen. James W. Ring, Director of the Virginia National Guard Joint Staff. “They epitomize the service of the Citizen-Soldier and answered the call at a time of national need. Their exceptional service in conducting over 100,000 COVID tests set the conditions to reduce the effects of this pandemic within our communities and protected the lives of the citizens of the Commonwealth.”
Starting in April, the 34th CERFP led VNG’s sample collection missions across Virginia. The vast majority of these missions were point prevalence surveys conducted room by room at long-term and specialized care facilities throughout the state. In total, Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen collected more than 105,000 samples for COVID-19 testing, with more than 101,000 of those samples collected by PPS strike teams.