Crist to White House: "Do Right by The American People, Keep the National Guard in Place"

Press Release

U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-FL) released a statement in support of U.S. National Guard troops risking their health and safety to answer the call of duty during the coronavirus pandemic.

Crist's statement comes following reports that the White House will cut the deployment of Guardsmen just one day short of the 90 days necessary to allow these servicemembers to qualify for earlier retirement and increased education benefits. Over 2,000 Florida Guardsmen are currently serving our State in response to coronavirus.

"The members of the National Guard have carried out their motto to "always be ready, always be there' with honor and courage. They have answered the call when we needed them most, all while over 1,000 servicemembers have tested positive for COVID-19. Ending their deployment at 89 days, just one day shy of qualifying for extra benefits, is disrespectful to their service." said Rep. Crist. "We're only one month away from White House plans to end Guard deployments, but there are still hundreds of new cases in Florida every day. With Florida re-opening, now is not the time to play games with their service. This decision hurts our men and women in uniform and makes Pinellas families less safe. Do right by the American people, keep the National Guard in place."

The National Guard is currently under the largest deployment since Hurricane Katrina, with over 40,000 Guard members across the United States lending a vital hand to state and local health agencies for COVID-19 testing, containment, and treatment efforts.

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