Bill would give National Guard a seat alongside Joint Chiefs

Tennessee’s U.S. senators have co-sponsored a bill that would give the National Guard a seat alongside the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Republicans Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker co-sponsored the National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act, which also would stabilize funding for guard domestic missions, provide more transparency to how the guard gets equipment and require the Pentagon to assess the cost savings and feasibility of shifting more of the nation’s defense responsibilities to the Guard and Reserve.

The House approved a similar bill in May. If this bill passes the Senate it likely will be signed into law by the president, according to the National Guard Association of the United States.