Liccardo legislation aims to add oversight to National Guard deployment
Responding to recent moves by the White House to deploy National Guard troops in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo is leading an effort in Congress to require the president to submit a detailed report whenever such deployments occur.
Liccardo has been a persistent critic of President Donald Trump’s decision in June to deploy troops to Los Angeles in the aftermath of protests over immigration raids. The White House asserted at the time that the troops were intended to address “numerous incidents of violence and disorder” in response to immigration enforcement.
Just hours after the National Guard arrived in Los Angeles on June 8, Liccardo led a delegation of activists, local officials and state elected leaders publicly denouncing the move in front of Palo Alto City Hall.
Liccardo argued at the event that the use of the military for domestic law enforcement “puts the nation on the precipice of authoritarian rule” and characterized the White House move as “reckless militarization.” Earlier this month, a federal judge concurred with the view and concluded that the deployment of troops to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a 19th century law that prohibits the use of the military for domestic peacekeeping purposes.
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., who has also strongly opposed the White House actions, is leading the effort to increase oversight for deployments of National Guard troops for events that are not related to natural disasters. Dubbed the SUN Act, the bill would require the White House to provide a legal basis and clearly state objectives for troop deployments; to detail the interactions between civilians and members of the National Guard; and certify that the deployment did not interfere with the National Guard’s ability to assist with natural disaster response.
Liccardo, whose district includes Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Mountain View, is spearheading companion legislation in the House of Representatives, according to a statement from his office.
Liccardo said in the statement that even despite the court ruling, about 300 National Guard troops remain in Los Angeles. Trump had also deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C. and has announced plans to do the same in Memphis.
The former mayor of San José noted that he had never called on the National Guard to fight crime, opting to rely on the city’s experts – its police force – to work with the community to lower the homicide rate.
“As President Trump deploys troops to LA, DC, and other US cities, he wastes taxpayer dollars, undermines the critical work of local police departments, and assaults our constitutional order,” Liccardo said. “Americans deserve to know how their money is being spent. The SUN Act shines a light on what these deployments mean for our communities and wallets, and I’m proud to work with Senator Padilla to advance this legislation.
“If there’s nothing to hide, let the light in.”
Padilla’s legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.