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American Legion: The Veterans Corporation (TVC) Needs to be Dismantled

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Legion is calling on Congress to cease Federal funding of the Veterans Business Development Corporation (also known as The Veterans Corporation or TVC). A just-released report from the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship states that the TVC has failed in its mandate to properly provide monetary and educational resources to military veterans wishing to establish small businesses.

"The American Legion raised this issue many months ago," said David K. Rehbein, The American Legion's National Commander. "Back in March, we fired off a letter to Senator Robert Byrd, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, pointing to the TVC's insufficient support of the country's three Veteran Business Resource Centers. At that time, The American Legion requested emergency monies be distributed to these centers by the Small Business Administration to compensate for the TVA's inadequate actions.

"Then, at our National Convention this past August, The American Legion adopted a resolution stating that we no longer support the continuing initiatives or the existence of the National Veterans Business Development Corporation," said the Commander.

Mr. Rehbein continued, "This latest report from Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and ranking member Olympia Snow (R-ME) indicates that the TVA has continued its pattern of failure to perform. This appears to be due, in part, to questionable expenditures and excessive compensation for its executives. The TVC has failed miserably in meeting its obligation to the entire veterans' community and should be held accountable.

"Therefore," said Commander Rehbein, "we reiterate our call for the dismantling of the Veterans Business Development Corporation and propose that its funding be redirected to the Small Business Administration's Veterans Business Development Office. The SBA is subject to Congressional oversight and has in place 1,500 small business development centers across the country that can certainly incorporate dedicated services to entrepreneurial veterans. This, in our view, would be of much greater benefit to our nation's warriors."

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