President Donald Trump’s undeclared war against Iran is damaging America in many ways – including the precarious rise in our national debt, higher interest costs, sharp prices increases for food and gas, and the uncertainty the war creates for our states’ National Guard. The Pentagon is taking nurses, firefighters and police officers from our communities for an undetermined time to serve in overseas combat.

When the president orders the National Guard into combat without congressional authorization, governors have a responsibility to act to protect their guard units and uphold Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution, which clearly assigns war-making powers to Congress.

We are urging all states to pass versions of the Defend the Guard Act, which would prohibit governors from releasing their states’ guard units into unauthorized combat.

Currently, according to a number of U.S. senators, members of the National Guard are experiencing extended deployments for the Iran war without knowing when they can return home to their families. Overall, the Pentagon has deployed........

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