1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

This message is directed primarily to Governor Abbott, and I’m copying the Lieutenant Governor and my state legislators because I want our whole leadership to hear it. Governor Abbott, please oppose sending Texas National Guard troops to other states for missions that aren’t needed or requested. These deployments take Guard members away from their families, their civilian jobs and small businesses, and their responsibilities here at home. They don’t make those other states safer, and they certainly don’t make Texas safer. Even if the federal government is paying for it, it’s still a waste of resources and an unnecessary burden on the men and women who serve. It’s also not in line with Texas’s long-standing respect for state sovereignty — we wouldn’t want another governor sending troops into our state uninvited. Our National Guard exists to protect and support Texans. Please use your leadership to make sure their time, energy, and skills are used where they’re truly needed — right here at home.