[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3326-S3327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  LET EVERYONE GET INVOLVED IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIONAL SERVICE ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 504 
and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 504) to amend title 36, United States Code, to 
     authorize The American Legion to determine the requirements 
     for membership in The American Legion, and for other 
     purposes.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask unanimous consent that the Tillis-Sinema 
amendment at the desk be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be 
considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 252) was agreed to as follows:

 (Purpose: To expand eligibility for membership in The American Legion 
    and to prohibit discrimination with respect to staff positions)

       On page 10, strike line 16 and all that follows and insert 
     the following:
       Section 21703 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``during any period 
     from--'' and all that follows through the end of clause (vii) 
     and inserting the following: ``during--
       ``(i) the period from April 6, 1917, through November 11, 
     1918; or
       ``(ii) any time after December 7, 1941; or''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``or time'' after ``a 
     period''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or time'' after ``that 
     period''.

     SEC. 4. NONDISCRIMINATION WITH RESPECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS 
                   FOR HOLDING A STAFF POSITION IN THE AMERICAN 
                   LEGION.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 217 of title 36, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after section 21704 the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 21704A. Nondiscrimination

       ``The requirements for holding a staff position in the 
     corporation may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, 
     religion, sex, or national origin.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 21704 the following new item:

``21704A. Nondiscrimination.''.

  The bill (S. 504), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                 S. 504

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Let Everyone Get Involved in 
     Opportunities for National Service Act'' or the ``LEGION 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Since the end of World War II, the Federal Government 
     has designated specific periods of war, the dates of which 
     are important for qualification for certain benefits or 
     membership in veterans organizations established by Congress.
       (2) In between those recognized periods of war, during so-
     called peacetime eras, the United States military has been 
     involved in not fewer than 12 known eras, which are 
     unrecognized by the United States Government as periods of 
     war, resulting in numerous United States personnel combat 
     casualties.
       (3) Those 12 unrecognized war eras occurred at the 
     direction of the then President of the United States, with 
     full knowledge and consent of the then Congress.
       (4) The first of those 12 unrecognized war eras involving 
     active United States military personnel was the Greek Civil 
     War, fought in Greece from 1946 to 1949 between the army of 
     the Government of Greece, supported by active military 
     personal of the United States

[[Page S3327]]

     and the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Army of Greece, 
     the military branch of the Communist Party of Greece.
       (5) During the Greek Civil War, one member of the Armed 
     Forces of the United States sacrificed his life in service to 
     the United States, and five others suffered non-combat 
     deaths.
       (6) The second of those unrecognized war eras involving 
     active United States military personnel was the Chinese Civil 
     War, which occurred during the aftermath of World War II.
       (7) During the Chinese Civil War, the United States 
     military equipped, trained, transported, and supplied the 
     Kuomintang-led Government of the Republic of China with 
     approximately $4,430,000,000 in its resistance to the 
     Communist Party of China.
       (8) During the Chinese Civil War, 14 members of the Armed 
     Forces of the United States sacrificed their lives in service 
     to the United States, 150 non-combatants of the United States 
     lost their lives in the war, and 51 were wounded, resulting 
     in 215 United States military casualties.
       (9) The third unrecognized war era involving active United 
     States military personnel is known as the Cold War.
       (10) The Cold War was a period spanning from approximately 
     1947 until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed.
       (11) Although no direct large-scale military fighting 
     occurred between the militaries of the United States and the 
     Soviet Union, active United States military personnel served 
     in multiple regional conflicts during the Cold War, resulting 
     in the deaths of not fewer than 32 members of the Armed 
     Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to the United 
     States and not fewer than 12 additional casualties.
       (12) The fourth unrecognized war era involving active 
     United States military personnel is known as the China Cold 
     War.
       (13) The China Cold War started when the Kuomintang-led 
     Government of the Republic of China retreated to the island 
     of Taiwan and lasted until 1972, after President Richard 
     Nixon conducted a landmark state visit to China.
       (14) During the military operations of the China Cold War, 
     not fewer than 16 members of the Armed Forces of the United 
     States sacrificed their lives in service to the United 
     States.
       (15) The fifth unrecognized war era involving active United 
     States military personnel was the Lebanon Crisis of 1958, 
     which involved more than 14,000 United States personnel and 
     resulted in the death of one member of the Armed Forces who 
     sacrificed his life in service to the United States and five 
     non-combat deaths.
       (16) The sixth unrecognized war era involving active United 
     States military personnel was the Bay of Pigs invasion in 
     April 1961.
       (17) The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed military 
     invasion of Cuba undertaken by a United States military group 
     sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency that resulted in 
     not fewer than one death of a member of the Armed Forces who 
     sacrificed his life in service to the United States and 19 
     non-combat deaths.
       (18) The seventh unrecognized war era involving active 
     United States military personnel was the Cuban Missile 
     Crisis, which took place between October 16 and October 28, 
     1962.
       (19) The Cuban Missile Crisis directly related to homeland 
     protection against the deployment of a Soviet ballistic 
     missile in Cuba.
       (20) During the Cuban Missile Crisis, one member of the 
     Armed Forces sacrificed his life in service to the United 
     States and 19 others died as non-combatants.
       (21) The eighth unrecognized war era involving active 
     United States military personnel was the Dominican Civil War 
     in 1965.
       (22) Operations during the Dominican Civil War resulted in 
     the deaths of 27 members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed 
     their lives in service to the United States, 20 non-combat-
     related deaths, and 283 wounded.
       (23) The ninth unrecognized war era involving active United 
     States military personnel was the Iran Hostage Crisis, which 
     lasted from November 4, 1979, through January 20, 1981.
       (24) The Iran Hostage Crisis involved military intervention 
     by the United States which resulted in the deaths of 8 
     members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in 
     service to United States.
       (25) The tenth unrecognized war era involving active United 
     States military personnel was the Salvadoran Civil War.
       (26) The Salvadoran Civil War lasted more than 12 years, 
     through the terms of two Presidential administrations of the 
     United States, and resulted in the deaths of 22 members of 
     the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to the 
     United States, 15 non-combat deaths, and 35 other casualties.
       (27) The 11th unrecognized war era involving active United 
     States military personnel started on April 5, 1986, when the 
     La Belle discotheque in West Berlin, Germany, was bombed, 
     killing two United States soldiers and wounding 79 other 
     members of the Armed Forces, which triggered what became 
     known as the Libyan Conflict.
       (28) The military operations of the Libyan Conflict 
     included numerous air strikes by United States military 
     forces and resulted in the deaths of two members of the Armed 
     Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to the United 
     States.
       (29) The Libyan Conflict led to the 12th unrecognized war 
     era involving active United States military personnel, known 
     collectively as the Persian Gulf Conflicts, which lasted from 
     July 24, 1987, through September 26, 1988.
       (30) The Persian Gulf Conflicts involved United States 
     military missions to protect Kuwaiti-owned oil tankers which 
     represented the largest United States naval convoy operation 
     since World War II.
       (31) The Persian Gulf Conflicts resulted in numerous 
     military operations and the deaths of not fewer than 39 
     members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in 
     service to the United States and 31 wounded.
       (32) Since the armistice that ended the hostilities of the 
     Korean War on January 31, 1955, nearly 100 active United 
     States military personnel have sacrificed their lives in 
     service to the United States in South Korea, and more than 
     132 people of the United States have been wounded in-country.
       (33) Since January 1, 1947, through all of the unrecognized 
     war eras involving active United States military personnel, 
     not fewer than 778 combat and non-combat members of the Armed 
     Forces have sacrificed their lives in service to the United 
     States and not fewer than 797 have been wounded.
       (34) Since January 1, 1947, the unrecognized war eras 
     involving active United States military personnel who were 
     wounded and killed serving their country were administered 
     under orders from the commander in chief and with the consent 
     of Congress, proving that the United States has been 
     conducting deadly wartime service to protect the country 
     consistently since December 7, 1941.
       (35) Eligibility for membership in The American Legion is 
     determined by Congress through the establishment of specific 
     dates of declared and officially recognized hostilities in 
     which United States military personnel are on active service.
       (36) The American Legion provides invaluable services to 
     its members and supports the community of veterans who 
     sacrificed in service of the United States.
       (37) Membership in The American Legion allows veterans to 
     engage in public service activities, such as supporting Boys 
     and Girls State and Nation, youth mentorship programs, and 
     benefit assistance, career fairs, and employment assistance 
     for veterans.
       (38) The American Legion has gone on record as supporting 
     the 12 unrecognized war eras involving active United States 
     military personnel since the beginning of World War II.
       (39) The American Legion has aided, assisted, and comforted 
     the families of the men and women who were called to serve or 
     volunteered to serve during all of the unrecognized war eras 
     and continues to provide support to veterans of those eras.
       (40) The American Legion has commended the heroic actions 
     of all military personnel who risked their lives in defense 
     of freedom during each of the unrecognized war eras involving 
     active United States military personnel.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, 
     in accordance with the history, tradition, and purposes of 
     The American Legion, it is fair, proper, and reasonable that 
     the privilege of membership in The American Legion should be 
     extended to all military personnel who served on active 
     military duty during all of the unrecognized war eras 
     involving active United States military personnel.

     SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE AMERICAN LEGION.

       Section 21703 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``during any period 
     from--'' and all that follows through the end of clause (vii) 
     and inserting the following: ``during--
       ``(i) the period from April 6, 1917, through November 11, 
     1918; or
       ``(ii) any time after December 7, 1941; or''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``or time'' after ``a 
     period''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or time'' after ``that 
     period''.

     SEC. 4. NONDISCRIMINATION WITH RESPECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS 
                   FOR HOLDING A STAFF POSITION IN THE AMERICAN 
                   LEGION.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 217 of title 36, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after section 21704 the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 21704A. Nondiscrimination

       ``The requirements for holding a staff position in the 
     corporation may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, 
     religion, sex, or national origin.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 21704 the following new item:

``21704A. Nondiscrimination.''.



                          ____________________