Senate Passes Boxer Amendment on National Guard Readiness (domestic emergencies)

[The Straight Story]

Senate Passes Boxer Amendment on National Guard Readiness

Friday, September 21, 2007

Washington, D.C. – Last night, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) requiring the Department of Defense to report to Congress on the ability of the National Guard to respond to domestic emergencies. The Boxer amendment was included as part of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act.

Senator Boxer said, “The California National Guard has lost so much equipment as a result of the war in Iraq that, according to the Secretary of the Army, the Guard may lack the capability to respond to a large scale emergency such as a catastrophic earthquake or major flood. This is unacceptable. My amendment will help Congress get a more accurate picture of the Guard’s equipment shortages and needs so we can ensure we are fully prepared to respond to domestic emergencies. We must not wait for disaster to strike before we act.”

In January 2007, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on “Actions Needed to Identify National Guard Domestic Equipment Requirements and Readiness.” The report found that the Department of Defense does not routinely measure or report to Congress on the ability of non-deployed National Guard forces to respond to domestic missions.

The Boxer amendment would implement two GAO recommendations to improve reporting on National Guard readiness. First, it revises the requirement for the annual National Guard and Reserve Equipment Report to include an assessment of the extent to which the Guard possesses the equipment required to respond to domestic emergencies, the effect of shortfalls of equipment, and strategies for the National Guard to effectively respond to emergencies. The Boxer amendment would also require that quarterly personnel and unit readiness reports include an assessment of the Guard’s ability to support civil authorities under the National Response Plan.

http://boxer.senate.gov/news/releases/record.cfm?id=283983