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Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) today praised House passage of the LEGION Act, a bipartisan bill that expands The American Legion membership criteria to all honorably discharged veterans who served during previously-unrecognized times of war since World War II.

The LEGION Act (H.R. 1641) will ensure that all of America’s veterans who defended our country during times of war will receive full access to benefits provided by The American Legion—an apt expression of gratitude for their service and bravery.

“We cannot overexpress our appreciation for our nation’s veterans,” said Congressman Balderson. “Their valor is the reason America remains a beacon of liberty, and all veterans who have served deserve due recognition and reward.”

H.R. 1641 is the House companion to Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-AZ) identical legislation (S. 504), which passed the Senate with unanimous consent in June. The bill now heads to the President’s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.
 

BACKGROUND

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. The nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, The American Legion has nearly 2 million members, more than 10 thousand of whom call Ohio home. The American Legion Department of Ohio is headquartered in Delaware, in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, and includes 540 posts across the state.

H.R. 1641 was introduced by Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA) and has 113 bipartisan cosponsors, including Balderson.