The American Legion to Congress: ‘Pay the Guard’
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Manassas-based 229th Military Police Company, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group, stand guard Jan. 10, 2021, in Washington, D.C. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from several states have traveled to the National Capital Region to provide support to federal and district authorities leading up to the 59th Presidential Inauguration.

The American Legion to Congress: ‘Pay the Guard’

The head of the nation’s largest veterans organization warned Congress that the American people will “be furious,” if partisan gridlock causes a shutdown of the National Guard and delayed paychecks for its soldiers.

“Congress and the White House need to act immediately to ensure that our National Guard is fully funded and its members compensated for all of their drills, missions and deployments. Have they already forgotten the thousands of National Guard members who protected the Capitol during civil unrest just a few months ago? Or the crucial role of our National Guard members in America’s response to COVID-19?” American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford asked. “The American Legion spoke loudly two years ago when partisan bickering led to an interruption of the Coast Guard being paid. We stepped up and provided more than $1 million of grants to help hundreds of Coast Guard families, but Congress still has failed to pass the Pay Our Coast Guard Act. Moreover, it isn’t the job of private nonprofit organizations to pay the military. As Americans, we should all demand that Congress never repeats that mistake.

“We are not simply talking about bureaucracies,” Oxford continued. “We are talking about families. The men and women of the National Guard have living expenses, bills due and other financial obligations that cannot be put on hold while politicians argue. The volunteers who defend America deserve better.”