Guard’s role studied in efforts to unclog nation’s supply chain

WASHINGTON — White House officials have explored in recent weeks whether the National Guard could be deployed to help address the nation’s mounting supply chain backlog, three people with knowledge of the matter said.

The idea appears unlikely to proceed as of now, the people said, but reflects the extent to which internal administration deliberations about America’s overwhelmed supply chain have sparked outside-the-box proposals to leverage government resources to address the issue.

The people involved in discussions stressed the White House has looked at the option as part of its due diligence in assessing all potential ways to address the backlog, which has slowed down imports and shipping all over the country. One person with knowledge of the matter said the White House has not considered activating the National Guard at a federal level but could instead work through states to deploy service members.

Major questions remain unresolved as to how the National Guard could be deployed, given the extent of the logistical challenges. White House officials have weighed whether members of the guard could drive trucks amid a shortage of operators, or if they could be used to help unload packages and other materials at ports or other clogged parts of the supply chain. As part of the review, White House officials have studied what kinds of driver’s licenses are held by National Guard members and if they would be sufficient to deploy them as truckers without hurting their ability to fulfill their existing responsibilities to the guard, the people said.

The discussions have involved senior members of President Biden’s economic team, as well as those tasked with addressing supply chain bottlenecks at the Transportation Department, the people said. At least one private sector company has also raised the idea with the White House.

The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations that have not yet been made public.

The supply chain bottleneck has emerged as a major challenge for Biden as concerns mount about the coming holiday shopping season. The backlog has been caused primarily by a spike in demand and changing economic behavior during the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House announced last week that the Biden administration has a new plan to keep the Port of Los Angeles open “24 hours a day, seven days a week,” while also touting commitments from private sector firms to use the expanded hours to try to clear the backlog and expedite shipping of goods.

The Labor Department and Agriculture Department are also working on ways to help agricultural exporters, while the Transportation Department has tried helping states issue more commercial vehicle licenses while exploring other ways to resolve the trucker shortage.

Part of the difficulty facing the White House is that much of the supply chain is controlled by thousands of private operators both in and outside the United States, limiting their options.