NH Delegation Statement on President’s Approval of Guard Activation Extension at Only 75% Federal Reimbursement

(Washington, DC)— U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) issued the following joint statement after President Trump authorized an extension of the New Hampshire National Guard’s activation through December 31st to help respond to COVID-19 but with reduced federal funding support. Starting August 21st, New Hampshire will be reimbursed 75 percent for the Guard’s activation rather than the current reimbursement of 100 percent. Only Texas and Florida’s Guard activation will be supported entirely by federal funding. The New Hampshire Congressional Delegation has repeatedly called for the Guard’s activation to be fully funded federally.

“The New Hampshire National Guard has been indispensable to helping protect and support Granite Staters throughout the COVID-19 crisis,” said the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation. “Our Guard members are staffing testing sites, conducting voluntary contact tracing, staging and distributing medical supplies, maintaining food bank operations, and providing critical support to N.H. Employment Security. We have repeatedly called on the Trump administration to extend and fully fund the Guard’s activation. Considering the enormous financial strain that the State is under as a result of COVID-19, full federal support for the Guard’s deployment remains vital. President Trump should provide an explanation for why some states will continue to be fully supported with federal resources while states like New Hampshire will not. Every effort must be made at the federal level to help our State get through this crisis.”

The Delegation recently wrote to the Trump administration requesting that the Guard’s activation be extended through December 31, 2020.

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