State officials are imploring President Donald Trump to provide the federal funding that would allow the Pennsylvania National Guard to continue its vital work in assisting with the coronavirus pandemic across the state.

Dr. Rachel Levine, state Department of Health secretary, held a news conference Thursday to praise the Pennsylvania National Guard for its services during the pandemic and to ask the Trump administration to fully fund the Guard in Pennsylvania, so their work can continue.

She said National Guard soldiers have provided a total of 350,000 hours of assistance in the 7,351 days they have engaged in COVID-19 response duties.

Those duties include transporting personal protective equipment, planning and administration at congregate care facilities such as nursing homes, patient care, filling staffing shortages at nursing homes, COVID-19 testing, meal delivery, infection control and other services.

“This assistance has ensured our loved ones get the care and support they deserve,” Levine said. “These men and women in the National Guard deserve our unwavering thanks.”

Levine is asking the federal government to reauthorize Title 32, which provides longer term funding for the National Guard than the state funding provides for assistance with the pandemic.

Title 32 also provides Guard members and their families with health care and benefits.

Randy Padfield, director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said when Title 32 was reauthorized by the federal government in June, only three or four states were funded at 100%.

Pennsylvania and other states remained at a 25% share.

Should Title 32 not be reauthorized, state Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds would be used to plug the gap, but that would mean diminished help for businesses and entities that could benefit from CARES funds.

Padfield said the decision on whether to reauthorize Title 32 is made by Trump himself.

He has reached out using multiple avenues to request that Title 32 be reauthorized, so the Pennsylvania National Guard can be funded.

“We have not heard back to date whether this is being considered or not,” Padfield said.

Lt. Col. Albert Fogle, the National Guard's Pennsylvania Task Force West team leader, said Guard soldiers have left their families and put themselves in harm's way to work extended hours at 150 nursing homes in the past six months.

He toured five nursing homes in the past week that have asked for help from the National Guard.

“This is a job the National Guard never expected to have,” Fogle said. “Our soldiers have been amazing.”

In a report by the state Department of Health on Tuesday, Quality Life Services in Sarver had a total of 51 residents and 25 staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19.

A company notice on Nov. 6 showed Quality Life Services in Chicora reported 41 residents and 22 staff members had tested positive.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. and U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th, support the reauthorization of Title 32.

Houlahan, an Air Force veteran, said Thursday that elected officials should work to ensure the National Guard has the resources and supplies it needs to carry out its work during the pandemic.

“I'm perplexed by the president's decision to treat states differently,” Houlahan said. “This is the wrong time to burden states with additional costs.”