National Commander LaCoursiere lists American Legion priorities for 2026 National Defense Authorization Act in letter to House, Senate Armed Services Committees.
In a July 8 letter to both House and Senate Committees on Armed Services, American Legion National Commander James LaCoursiere Jr. requested certain provisions related to both national security and U.S. servicemembers qualify of life be included in the Fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) .
“As an organization of veterans who fought for our freedoms, The American Legion believes the national security of the United States of America is upheld by maintaining a well-funded Department of Defense (DoD), high levels of quality of life in the military community, and a superior and lethal military force,” LaCoursiere wrote. “As your committees develop the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we urge Congress to include the following provisions in the bill's final version.”
Those provisions include:
· Military Quality of Life: The American Legion supports increased funding for new barracks and renovation of qualified barracks and family housing, expanding financial assistance to servicemembers for private and public childcare facilities, granting military construction authority for building new child-development centers, and retaining military commissaries and exchanges, MWR programs, educational benefits, and spouse employment programs.
· Lethality of the Armed Forces: The American Legion supports modernization, including updating military infrastructure, rebuilding the defense industrial base, increased funding for research and development, integration of emerging technologies, and enhancing talent acquisition by reforming recruitment strategies and retention incentives to military personnel with advanced technical skills.
· Protect Coast Guard Pay and Entitlements: The American Legion supports legislative actions that guarantee Coast Guard servicemembers get fair pay and full benefits on schedule, particularly during instances of government shutdowns or funding discontinuance. The repeated threat of government shutdowns brings severe and unnecessary hardship to Coast Guard servicemembers.
· Full Accountability and POW/MIAs: The American Legion supports NDAA language that continues to prioritize funding for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, enhances interagency cooperation, and mandates reporting on mission progress. Roughly 81,000 service members remain unaccounted for.
“The American Legion applauds the tremendous work of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees in their continued effort to maintain a robust national defense, and we urge quick passage of this legislation,” LaCoursiere wrote. “We appreciate your continued leadership and support for these essential issues.”
Read the entire letter here.
- Security