[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 46 (Thursday, March 14, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S1894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING THE AMERICAN LEGION

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I congratulate the American Legion on its 
100-year anniversary.
  On March 15, 1919, the first American Legion caucus was held. Later 
that year, Congress established the American Legion as a federally 
chartered corporation with purposes that include ``to cement the ties 
and comradeship born of service; and to consecrate the efforts of its 
members to mutual helpfulness and service to their country.'' The 
original membership to the American Legion was extended to those who 
served in the Armed Forces during World War I, which had ended a few 
months before the organization was started. Over the past 100 years, 
its membership has grown to nearly 2 million, with more than 12,000 
posts.
  I recently joined fellow Senators in cosponsoring S. 504, the Let 
Everyone Get Involved in Opportunities for National Service, or LEGION, 
Act, which would enable the American Legion to establish its own 
membership criteria instead of requiring an act of Congress to change 
eligibility requirements. In this legislation, we recognize the 
American Legion ``provides invaluable services to its members and 
supports the community of veterans who sacrificed in service of the 
United States,'' and it ``has aided, assisted, and comforted the 
families of the men and women who were called to serve or volunteered 
to serve . . .''
  I join many others across our country, including local posts, in 
recognizing the American Legion's century of representation of American 
veterans. In Idaho alone, there are approximately 9,750 Idaho members 
of the American Legion as of 2018.
  Thank you to the American Legion and its membership for your 
outstanding service to our country and America's veterans. 
Congratulations on 100 years of achievements on their behalf. I look 
forward to our continued work ahead to ensure veterans have access to 
the highest quality services worthy of their remarkable dedication to 
our Nation.

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