New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg is co-sponsoring a plan to give the National Guard more authority and status in the Defense Department.
Gregg says the bill would ensure that the guard’s military and homeland security activities receive the attention they deserve.
The proposal would elevate the chief of the National Guard to the rank of a four-star general and provide the chief a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
It also would ensure that the guard and governors are in a direct chain of communication with the president and secretary of defense on issues of national security, budgeting and the use of military during national disasters.