❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of War says it may have to resort to “extraordinary measures” if Virginia Democrats pass a bill to place the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) fully under state control.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Pentagon, Virginia Democrats, and VMI leadership.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Proposed legislation pending in Virginia, with the Pentagon issuing its warning late Tuesday, February 3.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The stability of this proven leadership pipeline is a matter of direct national security interest,” said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
🎯IMPACT: The proposed bills could end VMI’s current governance and funding, raising concerns about military readiness and state investment.
The U.S. Department of War says it may have to resort to “extraordinary measures” if Democrats in Virginia’s General Assembly pass a bill to bring the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) fully under state government control. House Bill 1374, proposed by Virginia Democrats, would dissolve VMI’s Board of Visitors and place the institution entirely under state governance.
“The Department of War is monitoring Virginia House Bill 1374, focused on the governance of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), with significant concern,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He continued, “For generations, the unique military environment at VMI has made the Institute a vital source of commissioned officers for the Armed Forces.”
Parnell further emphasized that “the stability of this proven leadership pipeline is a matter of direct national security interest and any action that could disrupt the ecosystem requires our full attention. DoW reserves the right to take extraordinary measures to protect the integrity of VMI and our commitment to the cadets and midshipmen currently training there remains steadfast.”
VMI has long been a political target for Virginia Democrats who have worked for decades to find ways to defund or close the storied military college. In addition to HB 1374, Virginia Democrats introduced House Bill 1377, which would establish a task force to determine whether VMI should continue receiving state funding. The bill follows a 2021 task force initiated by then-Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA), which accused VMI of widespread discrimination. If the new task force concludes that VMI has not adequately addressed these claims, the commonwealth could cut its funding entirely.
Virginia Delegate Dan Helmer (D), who sponsored HB 1377, argued that the state should not fund an institution “incapable of separating itself from a Lost Cause ideology that promotes White supremacy.”
VMI, which received 27.5 percent of its funding from Virginia in the last academic year, has a historical association with the Confederacy, having produced many of its generals during the Civil War.
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