With a resounding “Aye,” Defend the Guard was made an official part of the New Hampshire Republican Party platform.

On Saturday, April 13, the New Hampshire GOP held a meeting to vote on platform amendments. Among the list of proposals was the following text:

“Demand that Congress exercise their sole authority over war declarations and protect the New Hampshire National Guard by requiring a Congressional declaration of war prior to any National Guardsman deployment to overseas combat zones.”

After some remarks from supporters, and one or two in opposition, it went to a voice vote, and the “Ayes” had it by a large margin. This means that Defend the Guard legislation is officially a plank of the the New Hampshire Republican Party platform, located under the “Federalism” section on the state party website. The platform can be read here.

This marks an important step in proving the demand for this legislation, especially as H.B. 229 sees a rocky committee recommendation in the New Hampshire Senate. The Finance Committee voted 7-0 to send the bill to Interim Study, which is a soft way to kill the bill, but it will still see a vote on the Senate floor. It is imperative that Republicans in the Senate are encouraged to defeat the IS motion, and to honor the Republican platform by passing the bill. Democrats, too, may be convinced to support the bill, even if it is not part of the Democratic Party platform, and it is important for them to be encouraged to do so.

The vote is on April 18; therefore, if you have time, please contact the NH Senate and encourage them to defeat the IS and pass the bill.