Foreign policy interventionism is very embedded in both parties. While elected officials like Thomas Massie are no longer on islands in opposing bad foreign policy bills, there is still not enough opposition to the warfare state in DC.
As a result, anti-war activists have to get creative when it comes to changing foreign policy. The introduction of Defend the Guard legislation perhaps addresses this problem. This legislation would ban a state’s National Guard units from being sent into an active combat zone without Congress formally declaring war, as stipulated by the United States Constitution.
Former Kansas Secretary of State and US Senate candidate Kris Kobach is currently running for the position of Attorney General in Kansas. Kobach has earned a reputation for being a staunch constitutionalist and strong immigration patriot. Kobach is a Kansas-based lawyer and politician who previously served as the Chairman of the Kansas Republican Party (2007-2009) and Kansas Secretary of State (2011-2019).
Most importantly, Kobach fully backs the “Defend the Guard” legislation.
On March 26, 2022, activists gathered in front of the Kansas statehouse steps for the Defend the Guard rally in Topeka. At the rally, there were various presentations from military veterans and other supporters, who came out in support of the national guard. Kobach was one of the speakers at this event. He voiced his support for Senate Bill 370 that would prevent the state national guard from being deployed to active combat zones unless Congress issued an official declaration.
During his speech, Kobach detailed why he was in favor of the Defend the Guard Act. He alluded to its constitutional rigidity, its protection of military members from the Biden administration’s arbitrary vaccine mandate, and how it puts Kansans’ interest first. .
“And the purpose of ‘Defend the Guard’ is to keep the National Guard in control of the state, which is where it’s designed. The Article I Section 8 of the Constitution says the National Guard can be called into national service for three purposes, [to] uphold the Constitution, to enforce the laws of the union, and to repel an invasion. And without a declaration of war there is no law being enforced overseas,’ declared Dan McKnight, the Chairman of Bring Our Troops Home.
“The National Guard should never be deployed on the operations without the declaration of war. That’s not their purpose, that’s not their role. They are trying to drag Americans into a war and if we don’t find a way to apply the brakes we can’t do it in DC but the states can. They can apply the brakes and keep Americans from fully indulging in war and just ask that Congress put their name on the line before we ask our citizen soldiers to put their boots on the ground,” McKnight added.
Anti-war types will have to look at the Defend the Guard model as an inspiration for bringing about political change. At the present, federal activism is generally not very productive due to how overwhelmingly pro-war most elected officials are. It’s going to take pressure from below to change the foreign policy consensus in DC.
