17�Թ���

Colorado Legionnaire shares thoughts on visit to Capitol Hill during Washington Conference; Legion departments encouraged to do the same.

During the recent Washington Conference, members of the Department of Colorado American Legion Family were able to discuss veterans issues during their visit to Capitol Hill.

The delegation met with U.S. Reps. Jeff Crank and Jeff Hurd, as well as staff from the offices of Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennett, and Reps. Joe Neguse, Gabe Evans, Diana DeGette and Brittany Petterson.

The Colorado delegation included:

·         Department Senior Vice Commander Sarah Tobin, a member of Post 209 and the National Legislative Council

·         Sons of 17�Թ��� National Executive Committeeman Nick Arceo, Commander of SAL Squadron 103

·         American Legion Auxiliary Department Vice President Rebekah Arpan, a member of Unit 209

·         SAL Detachment Commander Rob Barry, a member of Squadron 209

·         SAL Detachment Junior Vice Commander Chris Flores, a member of Squadron 113

·         SAL Past National Commander Mike Kirschner, a member of Squadron 2

·         Department Junior Vice Commander Tina Kyprios, a member of Post 44

·         Post 44 Adjutant Jim Stanko

Kyprios shared the following thoughts after visiting Capitol Hill.

As I return home after 17�Թ��� Washington Conference, I come with a far greater awareness and appreciation of the process that ultimately shapes the policies that help veterans in concrete ways for generations to come.

We all know of the recent passage of the PACT Act in 2022. What you may not know is that long before that was signed into law, it started as a resolution at an American Legion post. In the case of the PACT Act, it was likely several resolutions. You can go on to 17�Թ��� Digital Archive and search all the resolutions ultimately passed by 17�Թ���. There you will find that in 2016 there were various resolutions passed that addressed presumptive conditions, including 130 and 139, which originated in Maryland, were passed through the resolution process, and made it to the floor of the national convention where it was passed. 

You also may not know that as a grassroots organization, it is the resolutions process that allows 17�Թ��� to speak on any issue. 17�Թ���’s legislative agenda is not developed by ‘leaders in Washington’ who decide what they think is important; rather, it begins at the post level. 17�Թ��� does not take a formal position on any issue without an explicit resolution on the topic.

For example, right now one of the items on our legislative agenda is The Major Richard Star Act. Again, this is the result of various resolutions, one of which is Res. 187, Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation, which originated from Georgia and was passed at the 2016 National Convention in Ohio. Most recently President Trump signed an executive order which reclassified marijuana from a schedule I to schedule III drug. This enables VA to do research into the medicinal value of marijuana, and it started with a resolution from Louisiana.

When we’re engaged in our post meetings it can often seem very abstract or removed from anything that happens in Washington, D.C. And in the best sense, we are often just in conversation, maybe listening to complaints or even “bitch sessions” talking about how broken the process is, or the holes in the system, or the “stupid” hoops we are required to jump through to simply receive the care or compensation we understand we have earned. But it is through these conversations that resolutions are born. Someone says something like “the VA should …” and that is the seed planted that becomes a resolution.

17�Թ���’s is focused on veteran suicide, and it is ultimately about looking out for one another, paying attention to our battle buddies and being aware of each other’s needs. Through this grassroots effort you can Be The One in your post, and when you see an issue that needs broader attention, write that resolution – it could be the one that goes from post to policy.

Share Your Capitol Hill Visit With Us. We want to hear from other American Legion departments about how your Capitol Hill visit went during the Washington Conference so we can share those efforts in our media channels.

Please email sbrooks@legion.org with the following information:

·         The members of your delegation who were a part of the visit (please include any current post, district or department offices each currently hold).

·         Those members of Congress you met with during the visit.

·         Photos of the visit.