American Legion National Commander James LaCoursiere Jr.’s testimony before a joint session of the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs
American Legion National Commander James A. LaCoursiere Jr., called on Congress to “change the narrative” and improve the transition process for veterans as he delivered The American Legion legislative agenda to a joint hearing of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs Wednesday.
“Young people who have been told that military service will leave them broken or unsupported in the end will think twice about their propensity to serve at all. And that is a matter of national security,” LaCoursiere said. “We need to change the narrative. We can change the narrative.”
Ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Mark Takano, D-Calif., was one of several members to express concern about recent government layoffs.
“I have grave concerns about how President Trump’s executive orders are being carried out across the federal government, most especially the Department of Veterans Affairs, and how they are going to impact veterans,” Takano said.
During his opening remarks, LaCoursiere pointed to waste in electronic health records management as an example of government inefficiency.
“Billions of our taxpayer dollars have been spent on this,” LaCoursiere said. “The result has been delays, unsuccessful pilot programs, flawed infrastructure and continued inability of the Department of Defense and VA to make transition as seamless as possible for those leaving serving and entering their lives as veterans.”
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., called for great accountability at VA. “We made great progress with the passage of the Dole Act, and I am incredibly grateful to The American Legion for their support in getting this bill across the finish line,” he said. “I am committed to improving VA’s ability to hold their employees accountable, so veterans have access to world class care. I am grateful to The American Legion for their support of the Restore Accountability Act of 2025, which would do just that.”
The American Legion has received assurances from VA Secretary Doug Collins that veteran services and benefits will not be impacted by firings.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., referenced the case of two Veteran Crisis Line workers that she helped reinstate after being “fired on Valentines Day.”
“President Trump and Elon Musk firing all these Veterans Affairs employees is not helping the case,” Duckworth said before asking the Legion panel about the impact of the downsizing.
“I think every few days, we're learning about something new and trying to determine how it will potentially impact veterans, so we can assist this committee and the VA in mitigating those impacts” American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Director Cole Lyle said. “We were encouraged by the number of exemptions that the VA announced for the VHA, the VVA, and the board of Veteran Appeals. We've also been told by career officials at the VA, not political, that they were happy with what they called ‘a liberal exemption policy’ and we will continue to work with you and Legionnaires on the ground to identify those potential impacts and bring them to you and the VA as soon as possible.”
Employment opportunities for veterans have been a major priority for The American Legion since the organization’s founding. LaCoursiere pointed out in his opening statement that each year the Legion is “involved with more than 1,100 career events to help veterans and families in transition.”
The American Legion has called for a balanced approach to community care, so veterans can access quality health care from remote areas where VA is not necessarily the best option.
Rep. Abraham Hamadeh, R-Ariz., asked about long wait times and denial of services that have been linked to the program.
“We certainly do care about ensuring our veterans get the care they need, where they need it and when they need it,” Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Chairman Jay Bowen answered. “That’s priority one for The American Legion. If that’s through community care, that’s good as long as VA has the oversight and makes sure standards are kept.”
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