HELENA, MT – Governor Greg Gianforte urged Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to stand down on a request to move certain space assets of the Air National Guard to the Space Force without state consent in a letter sent on April 29th.

Governor Gianforte signed onto a letter with 52 other governors of states and territories opposing Legislative Proposal 480 (LP 480), a budgetary request from the Biden administration that circumvents state authority over National Guard and Air National Guard forces.

“Under the Montana Constitution, the governor is charged with making decisions about the deployment of National Guard assets,” Gov. Gianforte said. “While we often work closely with our national partners, state consent is an important principle that must be respected. This request from Joe Biden is a clear violation of our constitutional order. I will continue to fight federal overreach on behalf of Montanans and protect state authority over the National Guard.”

“A robust and secure National Guard is vital to the safety and security of both our state and nation,” said Major General J. Peter Hronek, the Adjutant General for Montana. “In order to accomplish our important state and federal missions, we must maintain the strength and readiness of our Air National Guard units. My position not only reflects state interests but also upholds the tradition and legal precedent respecting state authority over the National Guard.”

Gov. Gianforte is committed to safeguarding the authority of governors to deploy and withdraw the National Guard and Air National Guard on missions within the state and abroad to keep Montanans safe.

The joint letter to Secretary Austin can be found here.