U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, has led a group of senators in requesting that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) examine the financial impact of President Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard personnel to several American cities. The deployment includes cities such as Portland, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Memphis.
Senators Angela Alsobrooks, Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker, Tammy Duckworth, Dick Durbin, Andy Kim, Alex Padilla, Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren, and Ron Wyden joined Merkley in this request.
In their letter to CBO Director Dr. Phillip Swagel, the senators wrote: “Deploying federalized National Guard units for domestic security operations marks a significant departure from long-standing practice. It also carries substantial cost implications that have not been publicly disclosed or formally justified to Congress. The American people deserve full transparency regarding how their tax dollars are being used especially as it pertains to the deployment of military personnel for missions on U.S. soil without a declared emergency or state request.”
The letter refers to a June 7, 2025 Presidential Memorandum issued by the Trump administration that directed the use of National Guard troops for Department of Homeland Security functions within U.S. cities. The senators expressed concerns about fiscal responsibility and legal issues related to this move.
They asked the CBO to provide an independent estimate covering costs associated with activating and deploying National Guard personnel; operational and logistical expenses; sustainment costs; and any other direct or indirect expenditures resulting from these deployments.
“Congress must have a clear understanding of both the immediate and long-term budgetary consequences of this policy. A timely and comprehensive estimate from CBO will support fiscal accountability and help ensure that executive actions remain subject to appropriate legislative oversight,” they wrote.
Merkley has also recently called for an inquiry by the Department of Defense into these domestic deployments and raised concerns about their legality and potential effects on military readiness.
