Veterans affairs is among the highest of priorities for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.
On Friday, Rubio (R-FL) visited American Legion Post 347 in Lady Lake following an earlier stop to tour The Villages High School’s new Middleton campus.
Rubio visited the largest American Legion Post in the world to take part in a roundtable discussion with Florida veterans in a community where 1 in 7 residents have served their country.
“They’re the ones impacted by it most directly,” Rubio said. “And I think what you pick up when you come to places like this is some of the real-life stories and real-life challenges that then you hopefully want to go be able to address in the legislation.”
Events like this allow him to learn about the issues at the ground level and not make them come all the way up to Washington D.C., he said.
American Legion Post 347, located in Lady Lake, is the largest American Legion Post in the world with 7,000+ members. In addition, their auxiliary has 2,600+ members and 870+ Sons of the Legion members.
About 25 legion members, including members of nearby posts got to sit down the senator and bring up their concerns and issues. While it’s important to hear the concerns of Post 347 members, Dave Musser, post commander, wants to ensure all veterans in the community are heard, he said.
“The Legion is so important because when they speak to us, it’s not just about their own personal experiences,” Rubio said. “It’s what they’re hearing from their members and coming across every day.”
Post 347 in Lady Lake was founded in 1987, not long after The Villages began to take root.
In 10 years, the post outgrew its first home, and the organization built its current location.
The post has two service officers who help members navigate the VA system. In addition, a staffer from Rubio’s office has historically come to the post to address veterans problems getting benefits.
“It’s a wonderful event and it’s key people,” said Joan Suelter, past commander of Post 347, of the Village of Gilchrist. “It’s amazing to have him come to this.”
At the national level, the American Legion lobbies Congress for veterans’ issues. But much of Post 347’s focus is on community service.
“It’s an absolute joy to have somebody come down and talk to our veterans about our veterans’ issues,” said Musser, of the Village of Gilchrist. “That’s why we exist.”
Some of the biggest issues discussed during the roundtable were the frustration in the gaps that exist in veterans care at the VA and hurdles in the time it takes for appeals for denials for their VA cases, Rubio said.
It’s all about VA accountability, Musser said. For him it’s not that veterans are getting into the VA system, it’s that they’re not getting seen in a timely manner.
“Now the challenge we have is to go back and make sure whatever we’re doing on the VA, whatever we’re doing on veterans’ legislation is addressing things that perhaps no one up there is talking about,” Rubio said.
Throughout his time as a U.S. senator, Rubio has worked to ensure veterans get the attention and benefits they deserve.
Rubio is currently working to ensure the proper implementation of the PACT Act, which became law in 2022. Prior to this law, in 2021 he introduced a bill to help veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits obtain benefits from the VA.
He also led the passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act in 2017. The law protects whistleblowers and holds the VA accountable to ensure its employees provide veterans with the best experience and care, according to a press release from Rubio’s office.
“All of those were the result of interactions with veterans,” Rubio said. “But we never felt like those were the end of the story, we have to continue making these improvements. But what it does when I hear from them is it allows me to now be able to go back and ask the right questions and prioritize the right problems.”
Senior Writer Veronica Wernicke can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5307, or veronica.wernicke@thevillagesmedia.com.
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