The Libertarian Party of Illinois (LP Illinois) Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution supporting Illinois House Bill 2587 at a monthly board meeting. HB 2587 would amend the Military Code of Illinois. The Bill states that no member of the Illinois National Guard will be released from the State into active-duty combat unless the United States Congress has passed an official declaration of war or has taken an official action in accordance with the United States Constitution.
The Bill also states that for the Illinois National Guard to be called into action, they must be called explicitly for executing the laws of the union, repelling an invasion, or suppressing an insurrection. National Guard Members are currently being used in contingency operations without a declaration of war. The Libertarian Party of Illinois supports HB 2587 and denounces the National Guard being called to active duty to perform actions not in line with the intention for which they were created. We request that the State protect our National Guard members and only use them for the reasons they enlisted.
The resolution, in its entirety, is as follows:
Whereas Article I Section 8 of the United States Constitution grants the United States Congress the exclusive power to declare war;
Whereas despite the clear language of the United States Constitution granting Congress the exclusive power to declare war, the Executive Branch has unconstitutionally assumed that power while the Congress has abdicated its Constitutional duty;
Whereas although the United States Congress has not declared war in over 70 years, the nation has gone to war repeatedly at the whim of the Executive branch;
Whereas when unconstitutional acts are taken by the Federal government, it is the proper role of the States themselves to take action to remedy such situations as evident in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the Libertarian Party of Illinois supports the passage of “Defend the Guard” legislation by the Illinois General Assembly which would require an official declaration of war or an action to call forth the state militia by the United States Congress before members of the Illinois Army and/or Air National Guard may be released from state control to participate in active-duty combat operations.
