Legislators Object to Relocating Air National Guard to Space Force

A bipartisan group of 85 lawmakers are urging their congressional leaders to oppose a Biden administration proposal that would remove state governors’ authority over the Air National Guard space operations.

The Air Force’s Legislative Proposal 480, which has been included in the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, would give U.S. Space Force authority over relevant National Guard units from governors, who have held that responsibility for more than 100 years.

Twenty-nine senators and 56 House members signed on to a letter addressed to the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, which was released Tuesday morning, the Washington Examiner reported.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., founding co-chair of the Space Force Caucus; Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., a member of the House Armed Services Committee; Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., spearheaded the letter, The Hill reported.

“The original intent of the National Guard was to have a force ready to respond to the needs of their state and country,” the letter says. “Because of this, authority was placed in the hands of each state’s individual governor. We urge the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to reject the inclusion of Legislative Proposal 480 in the FY2025 NDAA.”

The letter added that the legislative proposal is “deeply flawed,” and said, “Congress has a duty to maintain the integrity and longstanding tradition of the National Guard, and a proposal of this magnitude threatens to under over 120 years of precedent.”

All but two governors signed a letter last week opposing the Pentagon’s plan to unilaterally move some Air National Guard units into the U.S. Space Force, saying it “undermines over 100 years of precedent.”

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis did not sign that letter, but each has blasted the Biden administration’s proposal.

Abbott argued the move is a “threat” to the Texas National Guard, Yahoo News reported. DeSantis also slammed the move, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

The proposed move would transfer roughly 700 National Guard members into Space Force roles, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers last month.

The proposal would waive Section 104 of Title 32 and Section 18238 of Title 10 of the U.S. code, which state that “no change in the branch, organization or allotment of a unit located entirely within a state may be made without the approval of its governor,” and that National Guard units cannot “be relocated or withdrawn under this chapter without the consent of the governor of the state,” the Examiner said.