41 veterans from 21 states and five branches of the military met with over 40 Congressional offices to urge them to defend the Constitution
WASHINGTON — Forty-one veterans from across the country spent Tuesday on Capitol Hill, urging members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to defend the Constitution and make clear that troops do not belong on our streets. This day of action was organized by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Chamberlain Network, Common Defense, Veterans for American Ideals, and Veterans for Peace.
Veterans met with 14 Republican and 27 Democratic members from the House and the Senate, including senior leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, as well as members who themselves served in the military. They spoke about their personal experiences in the military and why using the military for domestic law enforcement puts service members, communities, and our democracy at risk.
The veterans also urged members to co-sponsor two bills that would reinforce the separation of the military from domestic law enforcement: the Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act in the Senate and the National Guard Proper Use Act in the House.
“I've served in law enforcement, corrections, and combat roles in the military and understand that the blurring of these lines for our troops causes tremendous problems for our democracy and our Constitution,” said Jackie Robinson, a former Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army from Mississippi. “As a veteran who has been deployed twice, I feel a responsibility to push back on this administration's undermining of the oath I took. President Trump is abusing his power. In the meetings with members of Congress today, I'm glad I had the opportunity to push them to do more to make sure troops are not deployed to our communities or used against our neighbors.”
The Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act, led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) will draw a necessary brighter line between the military and civilian law enforcement, enhance oversight of these operations, and strengthen identification requirements for federal forces when they are deployed into U.S. cities. On the House side, the National Guard Proper Use Act, which was introduced by Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), would reinforce long standing legal restrictions on the president’s ability to deploy the National Guard for immigration and domestic law enforcement purposes.
“Every member of Congress should be able to stand four-square for an apolitical military focused on defending Americans, not policing them, and nobody speaks more powerfully to that value than those who have worn the uniform,” said Mike Zamore, the national director of policy & government affairs at the ACLU. “Veterans have come from across the country as another act of service to their oath to defend the Constitution and to urge Congress to be just as decisive in defending our rights and freedoms regardless of which party is in power. Forcing troops to face off against their fellow Americans is bad for the public’s trust in the military, bad for our neighbors who want to exercise their rights, and bad for the men and women in uniform.”
Courts have so far blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to federalize state National Guard troops and deploy them to Chicago and Portland over the objections of their governors, however he has sent troops to Memphis, with the Tennessee governor’s agreement, and is still threatening other cities, including New York City, Baltimore, and Charlotte. The government has also asked the Supreme Court to affirm its attempt to federalize and deploy troops to Chicago, claiming that troops can be deployed on the president’s say-so alone and courts have no role in reviewing his actions.
The following are additional quotes from the organizers:
“Deploying military forces to American cities absent a real emergency is a misuse of power. It undermines civilian control, weakens our democracy, and places both communities and service members in harm’s way. The National Guard’s mission is to help in real emergencies, like rescuing neighbors from floods, fighting forest fires, and serving overseas in defense of the nation. These deployments are doing serious damage to our military and the democratic institutions they swore to defend,” said Chris Purdy, U.S. Army veteran and founder of the Chamberlain Network.
“I'm proud to join nearly 40 fellow veterans from across the country in this day of action on Capitol Hill, urging members of Congress from both parties to reassert the separation between our armed forces and domestic policing. Putting soldiers in American cities erodes the hard-earned trust the National Guard has built with the public through community service, undermines military readiness, and endangers innocent people. We have seen how such actions can escalate tensions, divide society, and distract from real threats, both at home and abroad,” said Naveed Shah, U.S. Army veteran and Political Director for Common Defense.
“An apolitical military is essential to the health of our democracy,” said Gretchen Klingler, an Air Force veteran and Director of Veterans for American Ideals. “That is why I am standing beside my fellow veterans on Capitol Hill today. The faith that our communities have in our service members is a sacred trust built on the understanding that they serve the Constitution, not a political party or politician. When troops are sent into American cities for partisan purposes, that trust is violated. Our service members are not political props, and we are here to remind our legislators that our military must be used ethically, responsibly, and only in ways that reflect our democratic values.”
“I’m here in DC because I am angered and deeply concerned about the government’s use of the National Guard and active-duty military to police our communities. Service members are trained for overwhelming force, not civilian law enforcement. Deploying them in our neighborhoods endangers both the troops and the public, increases the risk of civil-rights violations, and stokes fear in the very communities our government is supposed to protect. It undermines our unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” said Michael McPherson, Executive Director of Veterans for Peace.
Photos of the day, taken by Will Martinez, can be found here. Other photos, including those of veterans on Capitol Hill, are available upon request.