Senate Hearing: National Guard's Role and 'Enemy Within' Concerns

National Guard Reorganization

• 🛡️ The National Guard Response Force and Quick Response Force are existing capabilities being reorganized, re-equipped, and modernized for better effectiveness.
• 🎯 There is no change in mission for these forces, and their reorganization is focused on improving their existing functions.

Posse Comitatus Act and Constitutional Rights

• ⚖️ When employed in Title 10 status, National Guard forces must respect the Posse Comitatus Act and cannot act as enforcers of domestic law.
• 📜 In Title 32 status, their deployment requires the concurrence of the governor.
• ✊ The presence of National Guard at federal locations is intended to protect federal property and functions from violence, not to deter lawful protests.
• 🏛️ The Ninth Circuit's decision affirmed the president acted lawfully in deploying the National Guard, disagreeing with a district court ruling that found actions in MacArthur Park unconstitutional.

Military Operations Within the US

• ❓ Senator Reed questioned a DoD official on whether they would carry out an order to attack a designated terrorist organization within the US.
• ✅ The official stated they would assess any order for lawfulness, consult legal authorities, and execute it if deemed lawful.
• 🗣️ Regarding the president's remarks about an "enemy within," the official stated they have not been tasked to conduct military operations within the US in that context.
• 🔍 There is no indication from the official about the identity of this "enemy within."