July 21st, 2021 by WCBC Radio
The state of Maryland has yet to be reimbursed for the cost of deploying hundreds of National Guard members to the U.S. Capitol following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Maj. Gen. Timothy Gowen of Maryland’s Army National Guard says the Guard needs to receive the money by Aug. 1, or over 700 members will stop getting paid.
In a letter sent to U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, Gowen said the National Guard needs to be reimbursed for sending thousands of soldiers from across the country to the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. About 800 soldiers were from Maryland alone.
“The National Guard deployed 26,000 members, both Army and Air, to the Capitol, and there’s no set aside for money for operations like that,” Gowen said.
A Statement from Cardin reads:
“Maryland National Guard members were deployed with no notice to defend the U.S. Capitol, as well as lawmakers and staff, from immediate and ongoing threats. Guard members helped to ultimately ensure a peaceful transition of power to a new Administration on January 20 at the U.S. Capitol. There is no question that this was a federal mission and it should be paid for with federal funds. Congress needs to get this done before our August recess, when serious budget shortfalls put public safety at risk and could hurt the Guard’s readiness for other critical ongoing missions.”
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