An 'opportunity to be heard'

Calling it an “opportunity to be heard,” American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett laid out the organization’s legislative priorities to Legion family members before they headed to Capitol Hill Feb. 23 to meet with their members of Congress.

Speaking during the Washington Conference’s Commander’s Call, Barnett touched on a variety of issues, including veterans health care, national security, and a more accountable and efficient Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We need to be the advocates who insist that VA be accountable to those it serves,” Barnett said. “We support reasonable protections for good employees, but corrupt, unethical or incompetent behavior must never be tolerated. During my testimony before the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committee tomorrow, I will call on Congress and VA to better execute the intent of the VA Accountability Act of 2014.

“It is not our position that VA is irretrievably failing veterans. Most of the 305,000 employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs are highly dedicated individuals who truly serve veterans well. But it only takes a small percentage to produce the barrage of negative headlines that we read about nearly every day.”

One of the ways to gain accountability, Barnett said, is a review of the Merit Systems Protection Board that has reversed disciplinary actions recommended by VA leadership for multiple employees accused of some form of wrongdoing. “It should not be more difficult to remove or discipline a poorly performing employee than it is for a judge to send an accused murderer to death row,” Barnett said. “Regardless of where the blame lies, we can and must do better.”

Barnett also asked Legion family members to demand that VA and the Department of Defense better integrate the medical records of all who served. He reminded them to bring up national security spending because, “the United States must field a strong military fully capable of protecting us here and abroad.”

Congress also needs to know the Legion’s position on the Second Amendment rights of veterans who seek treatment for PTSD or depression so that those veterans don’t feel they need “to avoid seeking treatment … because they fear that doing so will permanently forfeit their ability to purchase a firearm.”

And Barnett asked Legion family members to call on Congress to pass an amendment to protect the U.S. flag from physical desecration. “The overwhelming majority of Americans support protecting Old Glory, but we need a constitutional amendment in order to empower Congress to do this,” he said.