First female American Legion National Commander to speak at Club, 10 am Feb. 23

Denise Rohan, National Commander of The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans organization, will discuss ways that the Trump Administration and Congress can improve the delivery of benefits to the country’s more than 20 million veterans at a National Press Club Headliners Newsmaker press conference at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 23, in the Club’s Bloomberg Room.

Rohan, who is the first woman to serve as National Commander of the 2-million-member Legion, will discuss the need to preserve and improve the Department of Veterans Affairs, including VA hospitals. She will propose ways to bolster suicide prevention efforts, improve healthcare for women veterans, strengthen national security, and other issues.

On Feb. 28, Rohan will testify before a joint session of the House and Senate committees on veterans’ affairs. She also is expected to meet with Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin during her visit to Washington.

Rohan, an Army veteran, was elected in August 2017 at the annual convention of the Legion, which was established in 1919 in the wake of World War I. The Legion has more than 13,000 posts throughout the world, including National Press Club Post 20, which was founded at the urging of Club associate member Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of U.S. forces in Europe during World War I.

The National Press Club is located on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building at 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. This news conference is open to credentialed media and Club members, free of charge. No advance registration is required.