Senate Approves Rockefeller Plan Elevating National Guard to Joint Chiefs of Staff

Statement

Senator Jay Rockefeller issued the following statement tonight on the passage of an amendment to elevate the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a position on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"This is a huge victory for the National Guard," said Rockefeller. "Time and time again, our Guard has shown that it deserves to be an equal partner in the leadership of our military. Now it's going to happen. Soon when the President of the United States gathers the head of the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force in the Oval Office, the National Guard will be right there with them. The Guard is playing a critical role in our armed forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere and they continue to be an essential part of disaster responses here at home, coping with floods, hurricanes, and other natural calamities. We count on the Guard day in and day out and that trust is deserved. I appreciate the work of my colleagues, Senator Joe Manchin and Congressman Nick Rahall, on pushing this issue with me. I am pleased the Senate agreed to pass it and I look forward to seeing it signed into law."

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