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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020

‘Hard stop’: States could lose National Guard virus workers

Author:     ALICE MIRANDA OLLSTEIN
Source:     Politico
Publication Date:     05/19/2020 04:30 AM EDT
 Link: ‘Hard stop’: States could lose National Guard virus workers
Stephan:   There is no vileness, no little move that Trump will not make to show his indifference and contempt for ordinary Americans. But this, this is really something special for its callous nastiness. I think there should be some kind of na­tional recog­ni­tion, some­thing spe­cial, for­mal, that the whole na­tions fo­cuses on done for the men and women of what­ever rank or sta­tus who, when the Covid-19 virus challenged the nation's wellbeing, stepped up to fight for human life.  I think it ought to be a phys­i­cal sym­bol such as the neck­laces women in Con­gress wear. Or as a lapel pin, such as the male members of Congress wear. Some­thing that will keep re­spect and honor alive for a long time.
Members of the Connecticut National Guard with hospital staff in Stamford, Conn.
Credit: John Moore/Getty

More than 40,000 National Guard members currently helping states test residents for the coronavirus and trace the spread of infections will face a “hard stop” on their deployments on June 24 — just one day shy of many members becoming eligible for key federal benefits, according to a senior FEMA official.

The official outlined the Trump administration’s plans on an interagency call on May 12, an audio version of which was obtained by POLITICO. The official also acknowledged during the call that the June 24 deadline means that thousands of members who first deployed in late March will find themselves with only 89 days of duty credit, one short of the 90-day threshold for qualifying for early retirement and education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI bill.

The looming loss of crucial frontline workers, along with questions about whether the administration is shortchanging first responders, would require a delicate messaging strategy, the official — representing FEMA’s New England region — told dozens of colleagues on the […]

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