LANSING — In case you missed it, last Thursday, Minority Leader Matt Hall tweeted, “Michigan should send our National Guard to help other state troops secure the southern border. […] We should use that $8M to deploy the Guard to defend our borders.” But Hall’s comments ignore his own – and his MAGA Caucus’ – voting records.
Last year, Hall – and all but one House Republican – voted against HB 4437. This budget legislation was signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and appropriated $94,012,100 to the Michigan National Guard and the State’s military operations. The legislation included:
- An additional $5,000,000 to expand tuition assistance to the spouses and dependents of Michigan National Guard families.
- Funding for military leave for Michigan National Guard members that the federal government would no longer cover.
- Funding to improve infrastructure at Selfridge Air National Guard Base to bring the facility up to standards agreed upon with the federal government.
- Funding for an outreach program to prevent veteran suicide.
“It’s bad enough that Matt Hall would ask members of the Michigan National Guard to leave their families behind so that he can join Ron DeSantis, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Kristi Noem in a political stunt,” said Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes. “But the fact that he would make these demands while voting against leave time and tuition assistance for Michigan’s military families is just inexcusable. Michigan deserves leaders who treat our troops with respect – not MAGA Republicans like Matt Hall who use them as pawns in their political games.”
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