The American Legion will emphasize preventing suicide, boosting community care, improving military quality of life, ending veteran homelessness, securing our borders and other topics.
The American Legion is revving up its advocacy efforts, highlighted by dozens of crucial topics important to veterans and their families. The Legislative Agenda for the first session of the 119th Congress is now available for download here.
Think of the agenda as a road map for the Legion’s advocacy efforts during this session of Congress.
“I am proud of the work that has gone into shaping our key topics on behalf of the nation’s veterans, servicemembers and their families,” American Legion Executive Director of Government Affairs Mario Marquez said. “Our volunteers, staff and senior leadership have prioritized the key issues that The American Legion is taking the lead on. Our team will use these as guideposts throughout this year while also being nimble enough to support other high priority bills as situations change.”
Matthew Shuman has witnessed first-hand progress the Legion has made on Capitol Hill. Shuman, who is the Legion’s Legislative Commission chairman, is regularly on the Hill as part of his role as director of Congressional and Military Affairs for Philips.
“There is a general buzz and excitement around the new Congress,” he said. “And The American Legion is getting noticed by policymakers. The Legion has been invited to testify more regularly and I would expect even more of that to come. Our lawmakers want to understand how they can best serve our nation’s veterans. And The American Legion represents the strongest voice to do that.”
Among the top-level issues The American Legion will be working with Congress to enact:
• 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.
While the Legion’s legislative team is now actively working with congressional staffs, there is much more to come in the months ahead. That includes The American Legion’s 65th Washington Conference, set for Feb. 22-26 at the Washington Hilton Hotel, 1919 Connecticut Ave.
“Washington is all about relationships,” American Legion Legislative Director Julia Mathis said. “We’re actively engaged on the Hill and with our members in order to continue our longstanding tradition of ushering in legislation that improves the lives of our nation’s veterans.”
American Legion Family members can help drive such legislation. Sign up for the Legion’s Grassroots Advocacy Center here.
- Legislative