WASHINGTON — The Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) annual Washington Conference begins Sunday, Mar. 1, in Washington, D.C., and will continue through Thursday, Mar. 5. Several hundred VFW and Auxiliary members are anticipated to arrive in the nation’s capital, traveling from around the world to conduct organizational business and participate in the organization’s largest yearly advocacy event.
“As a VFW member and advocate, I have been in House and Senate offices numerous times communicating with lawmakers on what veterans care about most,” said VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore. “But none of those experiences compare to my task this week. Veterans benefits have come under attack with echoes from the 1930s, with some who have never worn the uniform claiming benefits are wasteful, or that the wear-and-tear of 20 years of war is somehow frivolous. The VFW resolutely fought against cuts then, just as we are today. Real lives are impacted by what we’ve come to advocate for, and real consequences await service members and veterans if Congress and administration leaders do not Honor the Contract.”
The main event of the Washington Conference is the annual commander-in-chief’s testimony set for Tuesday, Mar. 3 at 10 a.m. EST before a special joint hearing of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs held at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Room SD-G50.
“What weighs heaviest on my heart are the combat injured veterans who are accused of wanting to double dip when they have earned everything they are asking for: their full retirement pay and disability compensation without offset,” Whitmore said. “It is unconscionable that Congress continues to stonewall this injustice, and we will not continue to stand by while their families pay the price of their war wounds. They didn’t ask to be retired early; they were forced, and they are due every single dime of their earned benefits.”
Whitmore is prepared to discuss the VFW’s top priorities for 2026 including:
- VA Community Care: Passing the Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025 and the Foreign Medical Program Modernization Act of 2025.
- Concurrent Receipt: Passing the Major Richard Star Act.
- Veteran Suicide: Passing the Written Informed Consent Act and the Veteran Suicide Prevention Act.
- Brain Health Care: Passing the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025, the Blast Overpressure Research and Mitigation Task Force Act, the Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025, and the Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act.
Whitmore also plans to cover legislative efforts that would prohibit the exploitation of veterans by Claim Sharks, codify accredited claims representatives’ access to service members in military Transition Assistance Program classrooms and ensure oversight and transparency of the VA presumption decision process as passed in the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-168).
The VFW’s annual Washington Conference is also the culmination of the VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship program, which is currently in its 12th year. Fellows will accompany VFW advocates on Capitol Hill to employ the leadership and advocacy skills they have learned since beginning the program in October 2025. Together with their VFW delegations, each fellow will discuss the importance of increasing the Post-9/11 GI Bill book stipend with lawmakers and staff, leveraging their experiences as student veterans who commonly rely on fixed incomes.
Finally, the night before Commander Whitmore’s testimony, the VFW and its partners from Grunt Style Foundation and Irreverent Warrior will convene at the Lincoln Memorial at 5pm to tour our nation’s war memorials, reflecting on the sacrifices of the generations before us and recommitting to advocate for our veterans and the benefits they have earned. Dubbed the “Bonus Army Memorial March,” this evening hike around the National Reflecting Pool will serve as a time to reinforce the VFW’s mission for the week, while remembering our history and the fights that paved the way for our nation’s warfighters.
Read the VFW’s complete list of 2026 Priority Goals here.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will livestream this year’s testimony on its hearings page here. It can also be viewed on the VFW’s website here.
Get ready for the 2026 Washington Conference by downloading the VFW Events 2026 app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store today. Visit vfw.org/VFWDC2026 for all Washington Conference updates.