As a student at Vergennes Union High School, I drive by the Vermont National Guard Armory every day on my way to school. When practicing evacuation drills in case of emergencies, students line up and walk across the street into the armory. Like many other communities, the Vermont Guard is integrated into our lives. This is why bill H.355, titled the ‘Defend the Guard’ Act, is a bill that Vermont communities and legislators should support and advocate for.

The bill prohibits the Vermont Guard from being deployed overseas for the purpose of combat without approval from Congress. The bill is a necessary response to Trump’s unconstitutional deployment of Vermont National Guard members to Venezuela in January and more recently, Iran. These decisions were made without congressional approval.

As a citizen of Vergennes, I am disappointed and frustrated by the decision of Rep Matt Birong, D-Vergennes, to not support the bill. The bill was introduced this legislative session to the House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee, where Birong sits as chair. While he states the bill is unconstitutional as a violation of the Supremacy Clause, in reality, the bill reinforces the Constitution by enforcing congress’s prerogative over war.

Though Birong is not running for reelection, I encourage those running to replace him to endorse the bill and introduce it in the upcoming legislative session in order to enforce the Constitution and protect the National Guard members that so greatly impact the community of Vergennes and the larger population of Vermont.

Georgia Kunkel
Vergennes