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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Joint Memorial 13
Sponsored by Representative SKARLATOS; Representative DOBSON
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The measure notes that the framers of the U.S.Constitution planned for state Nat.
Guard troops to be used only for three reasons, but that in recent times, Nat. Guard troops have
often been in fights in overseas wars and danger zones. The measure asks fed. officials to send Nat.
Guard troops overseas only if the U.S. Constitution says it is okay. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.7).
Urges the President and Congress to deploy National Guard troops overseas only if the deploy-
ment is expressly authorized by the United States Constitution.
JOINT MEMORIAL
To the President of the United States and the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United
States of America, in Congress assembled:
We, your memorialists, the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon, in legisla-
tive session assembled, represent as follows:
Whereas the framers of the United States Constitution understood the importance of each state
of this nation having state control over state militias in order to protect state residents from harms;
and
Whereas the framers of the Oregon Constitution similarly recognized the need for the State of
Oregon to have a state militia by requiring that the Legislative Assembly is to provide by law for
the organization, maintenance and discipline of a state militia for the defense and protection of the
state; and
Whereas since 1905, state militias have been organized in a system of state National Guards
including the Oregon National Guard serving as Oregon’s militia; and
Whereas the United States Constitution grants states the right to control their own militias, and
authorizes the federal government to call upon state militias only in three circumstances; and
Whereas the three circumstances that the federal government may lawfully call a state militia
into service are to execute the laws of the United States, to suppress insurrections and to repel
invasions;and
Whereas Congress also has the power to declare war; and
Whereas the principle that state militias may be deployed only in the limited circumstances
authorized by the United States Constitution has been significantly eroded in recent decades; and
Whereas Oregon National Guard and National Guard units in other states have increasingly
been deployed for overseas combat missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hostile areas; and
Whereas National Guard soldiers in overseas deployments often face extended, perilous missions
without sufficient preparation or support; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
That we, the members of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly, respectfully urge the President
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 4286 HJM13
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of the United States and Congress to abide by the commands of the United States Constitution to
provide for overseas deployment of National Guard units only to execute the laws of the United
States, to suppress insurrections, to repel invasions and in the event Congress exercises its power
to declare war; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this memorial shall be sent to the President of the United States, the
Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and each member of the
Oregon Congressional Delegation.
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