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NEW: I obtained a recording of a recent call with top Trump admin officials discussing a June 24 "hard stop" for the 40k+ National Guard members who are the backbone of coronavirus testing/contact tracing/food delivery in many states https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/national-guard-coronavirus-267514
June 24 will mark 89 days since thousands of Guard members first went on federal deployment in March. Guard members qualify for key retirement and education benefits after 90 days. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/national-guard-coronavirus-267514
The National Guard says the deployment could be extended in the next few weeks. But no official on the call raised that possibility. Instead, they talked about the need for a messaging strategy because states would have serious concerns. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/national-guard-coronavirus-267514
Republican and Democratic lawmakers and state officials have been begging the Trump admin for a longer federal deployment, warning that a midsummer cutoff right as states reopen could contribute to a 2nd wave of infections. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/national-guard-coronavirus-267514
I learned so much while reporting this story about just how vital the National Guard is to the coronavirus relief effort. In Washington State, for example, they make up a full third of the team working on contact tracing. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/national-guard-coronavirus-267514
If the federal deployment ends, governors could keep Guard members mobilized on "state active duty." But most states would struggle to afford the cost: as much as $9 million per 1,000 troops *per month* https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/national-guard-coronavirus-267514
Guard members leaving federal deployment would also lose access to the military's comprehensive health insurance for active duty members -- a serious issue when more than 1,000 have contracted Covid19 since they deployed! https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/national-guard-coronavirus-267514
