The 65th meeting will be held in Washington, D.C., Feb. 22-26.
The American Legion’s 65th Washington Conference will be held Feb. 22-26 in Washington, D.C. In advance of the conference, the Legion has released its legislative agenda for the first session of the 119th Congress. Download it here.
Story coverage of the Washington Conference will be online at legion.org, which will include remarks from American Legion National Commander James LaCoursiere Jr.’s testimony before a joint session of the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Top-level issues The American Legion will be working with Congress to enact include:
• Suicide prevention: In an effort to win “The War Within,” The American Legion urges Congress to fully fund VA’s suicide-prevention outreach budget, mental health treatment services and peer-support programs.
• Community care: The American Legion urges Congress to hold the Office of Community Care accountable for the continuity of veteran care, improve communication between VA and community providers, and strengthen transportation services to community care appointments for rural health veterans.
• Compensation and Pension (C&P) examinations: Congress must ensure that VA holds its vendors to higher C&P examination standards. The quality review process for VA-contracted medical examiners must be made transparent, and Congress must ensure more effective incentives, stricter oversight mechanisms, mandatory quality reviews and severe penalties for non-compliance.
• Quality of Life: The Legion is calling for accelerated implementation and oversight of approved funding for military pay, benefits and quality-of-life infrastructure programs.
• Border security: The American Legion implores lawmakers to work together on behalf of Americans and Border Patrol agents to strengthen national security by stopping threats at our borders.
• Fund State Department and foreign operations: As DoD prepares for a potential conflict with China, America needs a robust and well-funded foreign service to counter authoritarian influence.
• End veteran homelessness: Policies must include comprehensive support for at-risk and homeless veterans, including counseling, assistance in accessing care and benefits, financial and career resources, and business development opportunities.
American Legion Family members can support these top-level issues by signing up for the Legion’s Grassroots Advocacy Center here.
- Dispatch