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">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
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">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
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">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
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">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
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">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
Guard members leaving federal deployment would also lose access to the military& #39;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">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
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