Legislative: Four Ways to Be More Involved in the Legislative Program

Four Ways to Be More Involved in the Legislative Program

The election is over but that doesn’t mean we should let up on our work in the Legislative Program. The New Year is fast upon us and we should resolve to become more involved in this program.

Here are four ways to be more involved in the Legislative Program:

1. Conduct an “Action Corps Sign Up Drive” at your Post home or when you conduct a membership drive.
   • Use a simple sign-up sheet such as the one you can download here (it’s also available on the Resources page of the website). Action Corps Weekly and Action Alerts are sent via email, so an individual must have an email address to sign up for Action Corps.
   • You can send completed sign-up sheets to the VFW’s Washington office and they will take care of the rest.
   • Remember those who wish to participate in Action Corps do not need to be VFW or Auxiliary members. Anyone who cares about veterans issues should sign up.
2. Participate when you receive an Action Alert. With the Action Alert template provided, it takes less than two minutes to let your legislators know your opinion about the bill in question.
3. Be involved in your local political process; introduce yourself to city council members, your town’s mayor, and your state representatives and senators. Remember that all politics are local!
4. There are many new U.S. Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives who need to know the VFW and its Auxiliary are relentless advocates for our veterans and active duty military. When communicating with them in person or via phone or email, please be polite, be brief and know your facts on the issue you are contacting them about.

The annual Legislative Conference is February 26 – March 2 in Washington, D.C. If you are attending, it is vital that you be present for the Commander in Chief’s testimony before the Veterans Affairs Committee. This important event sets the tone for the year. Many pertinent questions and answers are part of this testimony and the knowledge you can glean from it is extremely valuable in your work on the Legislative Program. If you cannot be there in person, be sure to watch the live stream on the VFW website.