Democrats on Senate Armed Services Committee call for hearing on use of military in American cities

As President Donald Trump moves to deploy troops to more U.S. cities, the senators want answers on the cost and impact on military readiness, among other issues.

Every Democratic member of the Senate Armed Services Committee has joined to ask its Republican chairman to convene a hearing with Pentagon leaders about the Trump administration’s growing use of members of the U.S. military on the streets of American cities.

In a letter to Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the 13 Democratic senators argue that the committee and the American people deserve answers on the cost of deploying personnel and equipment to U.S. cities, the impact on military readiness and the effect on the military’s relationship with the American people.

Active duty and National Guard troops have been deployed to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to support federal and local law enforcement officials tasked with combating crime, protecting against protests and conducting immigration missions.

On Monday, President Donald Trump signed a memo establishing a task force in Memphis, Tennessee, that would mobilize the National Guard and federal law enforcement officials to combat crime there, similar to the administration’s actions in Washington.

“The effort will include the National Guard, as well as the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. marshals, and more,” he said in the Oval Office announcement.