TEXAS — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in a letter to President Joe Biden dated May 3, called a proposal that could shift members of the Air National Guard to Space Force without consent of their respective governors a “power grab.”

What You Need To Know

  • In a May 3 letter to President Joe Biden, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Legislative Proposal 480 a “power grab”

  • Under LP480, hundreds of Air National Guard members would be transferred to roles in the Space Force, the military branch created by former President Donald Trump

  • Abbott said LP480 “poses an intolerable threat to the Texas National Guard”

  • A White House spokesperson said LP480 is “consistent with the structure authorized by Congress for the U.S. Space Force in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act"

Under Legislative Proposal 480, hundreds of Air National Guard members would be transferred to roles in the Space Force, which is the military branch created by former President Donald Trump. The consent of governors of personnel’s respective states would not be sought.

Abbott’s letter says the proposal is a threat to the Texas National Guard.

“Legislative Proposal 480, put forth by the U.S. Department of the Air Force, poses an intolerable threat to the Texas National Guard. That proposal would give the Secretary of the Air Force unilateral authority to transfer Air National Guard units to the Space Force-without first obtaining gubernatorial consent,” Abbott wrote.

Abbott said that Congress has long required the consent of a governor before transferring National Guard units.

“By departing from this sensible arrangement, and allowing the Secretaries to dismantle National Guard units on a whim, Legislative Proposal 480 would set a dangerous precedent,” Abbott wrote. “Members of the Texas National Guard must always stand ready to respond to natural disasters, civil disturbances, and cartel activity that threaten our way of life.”

In late April, dozens of governors sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calling for the discontinuation of LP480, claiming it would “weaken or eliminate Governor authority over the National Guard and threaten readiness and operational efficacy of their units."

Abbott was not among the signatories.

A White House spokesperson told Newsweek that the Biden administration is opposed to the creation of a Space National Guard and that the Department of Defense recommended a one-time transfer of a small number of Guard members to Space Force.

That spokesperson further said the move is “consistent with the structure authorized by Congress for the U.S. Space Force in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act.”

“The U.S. Department of the Air Force should retract Legislative Proposal 480. Instead of attempting such a power grab in Congress, the U.S. Department of the Air Force should work with the affected governors to build up the Space Force in a way that is consistent with federal law,” Abbott wrote.