Hawaii wants full federal funding for National Guard effort

Hawaii’s congressional delegation, governor and state lawmakers are calling on President Donald Trump to continue funding Hawaii National Guard COVID-19 efforts at 100% instead of at 75% starting Aug. 22.

Trump on Aug. 3 extended the use of the National Guard nationally in response to the pandemic — but instituted the 75% federal payment for most states, Hawaii included, with no explanation.

The cost for the approximately 850 Hawaii citizen soldiers and airmen assisting with COVID-19 duty is about $120,000 a day, according to Maj. Gen. Ken Hara, incident commander for the state’s coronavirus response.

That comes out to about $840,000 for a seven-day period. The amount fluctuates depending on the number of Guard personnel on coronavirus duty.

Trump’s decision to require a 25% state cost share “could drain up to $17 million away from much needed social safety net programs such as food banks, rent support and unemployment insurance,” the Hawaii House of Representatives said in a release.

To fill the funding gap, the Hawaii Department of Defense is planning on diverting a portion of $40 million provided by the first federal CARES Act distribution to fund the National Guard’s continued deployment, state House representatives said.

What the state has been using the $40 million defense fund for is not clear. The Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

“Since we are facing over a billion-dollar shortfall in general funds in the current fiscal year, we will most likely have to spend CARES Act money we could be using for” personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, unemployment insurance and other critical needs, Rep. Sylvia Luke, chair of the House Finance Committee, said in the release.

Most of the Hawaii National Guard troops are working on Oahu. About 100 each are on Hawaii island, Kauai and Maui, according to the Guard.

The citizen soldiers are working with the Department of Health on education programs in communities, conducting COVID-19 testing on Hawaii residents, working with new screening temperature machines at the airports and doing medical screening at the state Capitol, said spokesman Jeff Hickman.

On Hawaii island, the troops are not doing temperature screening but rather are helping with people control.

About 25 have started helping with COVID-19 mapping assisting tracers at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, Hickman said. The Health Department investigators are using the National Guard members for data entry. Another 12 are being trained on Maui.

In his Aug. 3 memo, Trump said activated National Guard forces around the country “have provided critical support to governors.” He noted that states and territories “will need assistance in fighting COVID-19 hot spots as they emerge.”

The 75% federal cost share starts Aug. 22 and is authorized through Dec. 31.

Trump on Aug. 3 singled out Florida and Texas for 100% federal coverage of National Guard COVID-19 efforts through Dec. 31. A few days later he added Connecticut, California and Arizona for 100% payments through Sept. 30.

The National Governors Association on Aug. 7 called on the president to institute a “fair and equitable solution” to the use of federal funding for what’s known as Title 32 duty and a return to 100% funding for all states.

“Governors appreciate the president’s action earlier this week to extend the use of Title 32 through the end of the year,” the organization said. “States and territories are concerned about the new 25% financial burden during a recession that they are required to shoulder while also executing unprecedented responsibility to protect the public health.”

The organization said Gov. David Ige supported the request.

U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz of Hawaii signed onto a letter from 34 Democratic senators calling for Trump to restore full federal funding.

“This new determination to reduce the cost share comes at the worst possible time, as positive cases continue to rise,” the group said.

More than 100 mostly Democratic representatives, but also some Republicans, sent their own letter to Trump on Tuesday saying they were “perplexed by the decision to treat states differently” and asking for 100% funding for all.

Democrats Ed Case and Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii are participants.

The group said it was “alarmed” by Trump’s decision “to treat states differently. Picking and choosing which states receive full federal funding, whatever the rationale, sets a dangerous precedent and raises serious questions about the motivation for why certain states are selected and others are not.”