The American Legion, Department of California
  Foreign Relations and National Security Commission

FOREIGN RELATIONS AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Acting as a forum since 1924 for members of the nation's largest veteran's organization, the Foreign Relations Commission has worked to implement U.S. policies that will maintain peace and security for America and our friends and allies.
WHO WE ARE
The Commission--30 Prominent and active Legionnaires from all across the country and abroad are interested and concerned about America's role in the world. A full-time staff in Washington, DC office administers the programs and maintains contact with the U.S. Department of State and other foreign policy organizations.
WHAT WE DO
Meeting four times a year to discuss current foreign affairs issues , the Commission gets together with distinguished speakers from the State Department, think-tanks, foreign embassies and other international organizations. At this time they adopt resolutions that become the policy of the American Legion. Our staff works to implement these resolutions by letting Executive agencies that deal with foreign affairs know about our policies. This staff prepares and delivers written and oral testimony to relevant congressional committees.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
The American Legion believes in the bipartisan foreign policy of "Democratic Activism", defining this as the promotion of democratic values, maintaining adequate military strength to deter or defeat aggression, cooperating with allies, encouraging free and fair trade and assisting developing nations.

     The DEC was a hugh success for our Commission.  I was able to update everyone on how far we have gone on our Resolution on the Calif. ID Act of 2010.  This consists of  issuing two birth certificates at the time of a birth;  one for parents who are citizens or legal permanent residents and the second  which are "Proof of Birth" documents to be issued to all other mothers who are not citizens.  The object of these two certificates is to stop the traffic at all the borders, in which mothers in stages of labor, are crossing and demanding full care in our hospitals without a penny to pay for their care. and will prohibit illegal alien parents from applying for welfare for their US born children which can be received for 18 years by direct deposited checks, 13 years longer than citizens can receive benefits.
      California alone is spending $400 million per year, or approximately $8 billion dollars in the last 20 years toward these births.  Also, hundreds of thousands have left our Nation after giving birth and wait in different countries around the world until the child is 21 when the birth certificate is used for parents and relatives to become eligible to legally enter the United States.
      We are targeting this for the June 2010 ballot.  Money is coming in, support is building.  When I was in Sacramento on March 24th, I had appointments with Assemblymembers and Senators to explain this Resolution and asked for their help in pushing this for us.  There will be a big mailout to the 40 Senators and 82 Assemblymembers to keep them updated on what we are doing.  This will take each of us working on this to get it on the ballot.  Petitions will have to be gotten.  I am asking each of you to help us.  This commission has worked over a year on this and it will take a lot more time and people to push it through.  I hope to have petitions ready to be signed at Riverside in June.  We will have them in all the Legion Posts and hopefully VFW, DAV, etc. so we can get the amount we need.
      I will undoubtedly have more to update you on at Convention.  Please be prepared to help.  At this time of lack of funds in California we hope this will help us get this bill through.

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