Promotion #3 | January 2021 Carmelita M. Jones National Legislative Ambassador Tel. 1-208-390-4772 - Oregon VFW Auxiliary
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Promotion #3 | January 2021
Carmelita M. Jones
National Legislative Ambassador
Tel. 1-208-390-4772
carmjones1995@aol.com
We are in the second half of the Program Year. I am so proud of all of you for staying the course in spite of the
COVID-19 pandemic. My heart swells with pride and gratitude for all your hard work as demonstrated in the
department legislative reports I have received. They reflect our dedication and determination to show our heroes that
we care, and that we honor and remember their service to our country.
I am thrilled to report that we have accomplished so much this last quarter of 2020, in successfully getting several
pieces of legislation passed into law to improve the quality of life for our veterans and their families. Your voices
were heard loud and clear on Capitol Hill for the inclusion of the three Agent Orange presumptive diseases in the final
version of the Conference Report of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2021. The Senate recently passed
the $740.5 billion defense bill, just days after the House overwhelmingly approved the measure. The upper chamber
voted 84-13 to approve the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which sets annual spending and
policy priorities for the Pentagon. Just as the House did in approving the measure 335-78, the Senate reached the
two-thirds threshold that it would need to overturn a presidential veto.
President Trump has promised to veto the bill over its inclusion of a provision that would kick start a process to
rename 10 southern Army bases honoring Confederate generals from the Civil War, and its exclusion of a measure
repealing federal protections for social media companies. If he was to follow through and veto the bill, it would force
a second vote in each chamber.
We are the voice of our veterans, service members and their families. We cannot outsource this very important
responsibility. We must work together. If not us, who? Please continue to recruit friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc.
to become “Veterans Advocates” by joining the VFW Action Corps. Our veterans need their support.
The VFW is on the front lines. We don’t wait to hear how legislation will affect our veterans, service members and
their families. We are proactive, educating our lawmakers, and helping shape legislation from the beginning.
VFW Testifies Before House Subcommittee --- Identifying Congressional and Administrative
Priorities for the Next Congress:
https://www.vfw.org/advocacy/national-legislative-service/congressional-testimony/2020/12/identifying-congressio
nal-and-administrative-priorities--for-the-next-congress
Be on the look out! The VFW Priority Goals for 2021 will soon be published. This important
resource tool provides us the legislative goals and guidance that enables us to speak in a
“unified” voice for our veterans and their families to effect changes that improve their quality
of life.
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Helpful Links to Stay Informed:
Track legislative Bills at Capitol Hill: www.congress.gov
Watch House Floor Activities: https://live.house.gov/
Watch Senate Floor Activities: https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/floor_activity/floor_activity.htm
The VFW Podcast is a new show for veterans, by veterans. It is the newest communication platform which highlights
critical issues, challenges and legislation affecting veterans, service members and military families worldwide.
Starting this year, there will be two podcast episodes airing on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
To listen to the VFW Podcasts, please click on any of the streaming service icons below:
SWAP Corner
I am sharing with you a couple of Department Legislative Promotions. They are great testaments to all of us on the
wisdom of our founding fathers by creating the Constitution which embodies the fundamental principles and values
by which the United States is governed!
Cathy Burns, Department Legislative Chair from New Hampshire: Cathy spotlighted the “Electors in the
Electoral College.” “With the Presidential election over, I thought it was a good time to familiarize you with what is
actually going on. Some people never knew that it was the Electoral College – or the electors – not each individual
person, who has the final vote that decides the President/Vice President. Some people don’t fully understand what the
Electoral College is, or who an elector is or does. I hope this helps… It’s important for us to understand the
democratic process under Constitutional mandates and federal law, and about the electors in the Electoral College.”
Jean Lockwood, Department Legislative Chair from Florida: Jean spotlighted the Legislative Process on how a
bill becomes law. “This project will give each Auxiliary an opportunity to participate and learn about how a bill is
created from an idea to becoming a law. They will get key insight in why bills can be hard to bring to fruition even
though the idea maybe worthy and also the difficulties of working together with our differences and distances to
making it a reality.” Download her PowerPoint:
https://vfwauxiliary.org/wp-content/uploads/January-Legislative-FL-The-Legislative-Process.pptx
Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to honor and serve our veterans and their families. Please
keep up the great work. Working together, we can make a difference!
Please know that I am always here to help you any way I can.
My best wishes to each of you for the holidays and a safe and healthy 2021!
“No One Does More for Veterans®” than the Veterans of Foreign Wars
and its Auxiliary’s “Unwavering Support for Uncommon Heroes®”
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Legislative Program
With the Presidential election over, I thought it was a good time to familiarize you
with what is actually going on. Some people never knew that it was the Electoral
College – or the electors – not each individual person, who has the final vote that
decides the President/Vice President. Some people don’t fully understand what the
Electoral College is, or what an elector is or does. I hope this helps…
It’s important for us to understand the democratic process under Constitutional
mandates and federal law, and about the Electors in the Electoral College.
Wikipedia explains the Electoral College as: “The
Electoral College is a body of electors established by
the United States Constitution, which forms every four
years for the sole purpose of electing the President and
Vice President of the United States. The Electoral
College consists of 538 electors (see map below), and
an absolute majority of electoral votes, 270 or more, is
required to win the election.”
When Americans cast ballots in presidential elections, participating in the country’s
popular vote, they are actually voting for a group of people in their state (called
electors) to formally choose the President through a meeting of the Electoral
College. This happens on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.
This year that will be on December 14, 2020.
That said, a lot of people assume the winner of the U.S. presidential contest is
determined once the media calls the race and the losing candidate delivers a
concession speech. The news media project who they
think the winner is, but they are not a part of the official
process. Journalists make that call by looking at states’
Secretary of States’ websites, where poll workers publish
official vote tallies under state and federal regulations.
The truth is that formally declaring a presidential winner is a months-long process
that won’t be completed until January. That process essentially involves Americans
voting for electors, the electors voting for the president, and then Congress
declaring the winner.
In addition to the Electoral College, certifying the winner of the presidential election
involves the Senate, House of Representatives and the National Archives.
Once the 50 states, plus the District of
Columbia, tally the in-person, mail-in and
provisional ballots , each state governor
draws up a list of electors. The electors in
each of the states complete Certificates of
Vote and sends them to the U.S. Senate, the
National Archives and state officials. Once
that is done, the Electoral College has no
further duties until the next presidential election.
The final step in the process occurs on Jan. 6, 2021, when Congress meets to count
the electoral votes and officially certify the winner.
2I hope this has cleared up some confusion. It wasn’t until I looked it up to share with
you that I realized the extent of the process. I hope you can see how important it is
for us to understand the democratic processes under Constitutional mandates and
federal laws.
Each and every one of us has the power to affect the outcome of Legislative issues in
Washington, concerning our Veterans. Our nation made a promise to those who
serve, and we must fight to ensure it is kept, as we are:
Honoring our Mission Serve our Veterans.”
May we also commit to our Department President Francine’s theme:
Climbing the Highest Peak Serve Our Veterans
If you have question concerning the Legislation Program, please do call or email me
and I will do the best I can to get an answer for you.
REMEMBER: Report, Report, Report – it’s the only way we can show our National
Organization we’re working hard for our Veterans, service members, their families
and our communities! Thank you.
Cathy Burns,
Department Legislative Chairman 2020-2021
mjxfingers@comcast.net
603-692-3650
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