To the Editor,

In the press recently there appeared criticism of HB 527, the Defend the Guard bill. One article was by Senator Wendy McKamey titled, “It’s Time We End the War on Law Enforcement and the National Guard”. There was also a critical article by Roger Hagan titled, “Show Ponies Must Own Their Votes”. As principal sponsor of HB 527, let me help you to understand my enthusiastic sponsorship of HB 527.

For your information, the bill’s intent is to forbid the Governor from releasing the Montana Guard into combat overseas absent a US Congressional declaration of war.

You should read the two articles above. You will notice the intentional lack of Constitutional references to make their case. The reason is that there aren’t any. In fact, HB 527 is defended by the Constitution itself. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 (The Congress shall have the power) To declare war. Article II, Section 2, Clause 1; The President shall be the commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual service of the United States. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 15; (The Congress shall have the power) to provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.

Reread Article 1, Section 8, Clause 15. Congress, not the President, calls forth the Militia to do three things only; execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions. Sending the National Guard into combat overseas in places like Iraq or Afghanistan without a declaration of war is flatly unconstitutional. Title 10 of the U.S. Code 12406 reinforces my contention.

We are led to believe by Senator McKamey, Roger Hagan, and Adjutant General Hronek that we should give up the lives of our citizen-soldiers in conflicts not authorized by the Constitution for $197 million dollars. They want us to trade the lives of our National Guard for money. It is as simple as that.

This is not an academic exercise. Before introducing HB 527 I asked a legislative staffer to find out how many members of Montana’s National Guard had been injured in the Global War on Terror. He reported that 36 members of our Montana Guard had been killed in that conflict.

The Montana National Guard deserves a thorough debate by the U.S. Congress and an affirmative vote before being sent overseas. Do we want the Montana National Guard fighting in Yemen, the Ukraine, or Gaza? Make the case in the U.S. Congress. Our citizen-soldiers deserve that.

Do we want the Montana National Guard to help secure both borders, provide relief during natural disasters and/or deal with the threat of domestic insurrection? It will be hard to do if they are deployed to Syria.

HB 527 was and is rock solid constitutionally, legally, and morally. I hope you value the lives of Montana National Guard members as beyond price. I do.

                             Representative Lee Deming HD 55

Lies Defeat incumbent  – Republican Legislators

Politics is increasingly a “contact sport!”  However, this primary election has gone from twisting facts and statements to outright lies about candidates.  We have become used to the Soros funded Democrat political PAC Tactics they have perfected, but during this Montana primary a well-funded left-leaning Republican faction attacked conservative incumbent legislators (opponents were endorsed by Republican governor Greg Gianforte) and carried out by the “Republican” Llew Jones led “Solutions Caucus” (the “Democrat wing” of the Republican legislature).

An example was incumbent Rep. James Bergstrom (HD 78—Hobson) who was attacked by a last minute mailer accusing him of “defunding the Montana National Guard” by his vote for HB 527 which resulted in his defeat by a handful of votes.  Jim Bergstrom has been a conscientious hard working legislator who earnestly represented his voters while generally voting with the conservative Republican House majority. 

Here are the facts:  HB 527 (had an unusually high 26 co-sponsors) “An Act requiring official U.S. Congressional declaration or action to release the Montana National Guard  to active combat duty….”   In other words it instructed the Governor to maintain control over the State National Guard until Congress voted to give the President permission to call up the Guard for combat beyond the state of Montana (This follows the U.S. Constitution).

The bill was defeated 60 to 40 with the Llew Jones led RINOs (plus 2), with the support of Governor Gianforte, joining all the Democrats but one in defeating HB 527.  The facts about this last minute “leftist political hit piece” against Bergstrom and a number of  other incumbent Republican bill supporters— did not “defund the Guard,” did not interfere with fighting fires, did not block Guardsmen’s salaries, and did not “…put our nation and state at risk…” as charged by this left wing PAC mailer. It simply stated that Montana soldiers could not be sent to die at the whim of a President!

These types of lies spread against a legislator resulting in his defeat are not fair to unsuspecting voters who support our soldiers and veterans as does Representative Bergstrom—a good and decent man.

                                                  Sen. Ed Butcher

Sen. Ed Butcher (Ret) is a Central Montana rancher/businessman and former college political history professor who previously served for 10 years in the Montana legislature and has been currently appointed to represent Legislative HD 29.