Virginia Senate Fails Servicemembers

Nine Virginia State Senators voted to kill House Bill 2193, the Defend the Guard Act, in the General Laws and Technology Committee earlier this month.

HB 2193 sought to prevent Virginia’s National Guard from being deployed into active combat unless Congress formally declared war, as required by the U.S. Constitution.

The bill’s lead sponsor, Delegate Nick Freitas —a veteran himself—has been a consistent advocate for restoring congressional responsibility in war declarations.

The legislation is a direct response to decades of unauthorized military interventions and reflects a growing frustration among Americans over endless wars driven by executive overreach.

This legislation sends a clear message: Congress must reclaim its constitutional responsibility before sending American soldiers into harm’s way.

The bill’s defeat came after a strong show of support in the Virginia House of Delegates where the bill passed by a unanimous 99-0 vote.

Delegate Freitas responded to the committee’s action stating, “At what point do we take any measure whatsoever to tell the federal government that Congress should display an ounce of the courage they require out of the men and women going over there to trade everything?

Our service members uphold their constitutional obligation while Congress continues to fail. This bill is an opportunity to change that.”

While the bill’s failure in the Senate is a setback, the growing national support for Defend the Guard legislation shows that the movement is gaining nation-wide momentum.

Dan McKnight, a retired sergeant and chairman of Bring Our Troops Home, expressed excitement following the bill’s House passage: “Today is an incredible victory for both National Guardsmen and our Constitution.

H.B. 2193 doesn’t interfere with Title 32 deployments or overseas training missions. Its only requirement is that before the Virginia National Guard goes into combat, Congress has to do its job and vote.”

Virginia became the fourth state to pass Defend the Guard legislation through at least one legislative chamber, joining a growing number of states challenging unauthorized federal deployments.

In Texas, over 80% of Republican voters supported a non-binding ballot proposition during the 2024 primary election, signaling strong grassroots support for restricting National Guard deployments to conflicts formally authorized by Congress.

Nationwide, similar bills have been introduced in over 30 states during the 2024 legislative season, with progress made in New Hampshire, Arizona, and Idaho, though none have yet become law.

The Defend the Guard Act has garnered endorsements from notable Republican lawmakers like Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. Thomas Massie, and Rep. Paul Gosar. Influential figures from across the political spectrum—Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Pete Hegseth—have also voiced their support for Defend the Guard legislation, reflecting a rare bipartisan consensus on the need to restore congressional war powers.

Virginia’s unanimous House vote stands as a symbol of the mounting bipartisan resistance against unauthorized military deployments.

Despite being blocked in the Senate, the message remains clear: No more undeclared wars.