Dear Editor,
There’s a bipartisan state-level effort in the Vermont House for the Defend the Guard Act, H.355. This bill declares that our Guard can only be deployed to participate in an armed conflict when the U.S. Congress has used its constitutional power to declare war. This power resides solely with Congress, not the White House.
Two recent events bring this to the forefront and underscore the need to pass H.355 now. The White House deployed Vermont Air National Guard units to Puerto Rico ahead of the January 2026 operation against Venezuela, where they supported U.S. forces involved in the strikes. And now they may be sent to the Middle East.
The United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, a move that sparked bipartisan debate in Congress because it was carried out without prior congressional approval.
Versions of this legislation have been introduced in several states. To date, similar “Defend the Guard” measures have passed one chamber of the legislatures in Virginia, Idaho, Arizona and, most recently, New Hampshire. In addition, during the 2024 elections, more than 80% of Texas Republican primary voters supported a nonbinding ballot measure calling for the same requirement for congressional authorization reflected in H.355.
Last but not least, when our Guard is deployed elsewhere, they are not available here to aid all Vermonters with disaster response, wildfire support and public health crises.
National Guard assistance has been vital during the floods of the past three years and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Vermont League of Cities and Towns notes, “The National Guard can be activated to assist state operations before, during, and after any major disaster.” FEMA’s denial of 2025 disaster aid to Vermont only underscores how essential that support remains.
A declaration of war before Vermont’s National Guard is deployed to a foreign conflict would show where legislators stand. The least we owe our troops in harm’s way is accountability. Please contact your state representatives in support of the Defend the Guard Act and our state.
MaryDiane Baker,
Brattleboro, Vt.
