The House Veterans Affairs Committee unveiled comprehensive legislation in Washington, D.C. today that would address the effect of toxic exposure on the nation’s service members.
The Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2021 seeks to address the full gamut of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans’ access to earned benefits and care.
“They are finally recognizing that the consequence of war is not another line item in the budget that you can ignore,” said veterans advocate and comedian Jon Stewart, who has long been vocal on the issue.
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“These guys have put in place a framework that is going to address this issue for good,” he added.
HVAC chairman Rep. Mark Takano (D-C.A.) said the legislation brings together 15 bills already presented in Congress.
“This has truly been a team effort,” he said.
Speakers at the event noted the Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefit claims process can be cumbersome for veterans with exposure to toxic substances. They noted the VA can streamline this process through presumptions but has failed to take timely action in many instances.
“Toxic exposure is a cost of war,” Takano said. “The PACT Act will recognize that.”
Speakers said more and more veterans speak out daily about exposure to environmental hazards and other toxic substances during military service like:
• Contaminated water at military bases from PFAS and other toxins,
• Airborne hazards from burn pits and other sources while serving abroad, or
• Radiation from atomic testing and cleanups. Health impacts vary from unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses to cancers, birth defects, infertility, and respiratory conditions.
“Our mission is not complete until every one of these veterans is provided for,” said Rep. Elaine Luria (D-V.A.), who chairs the HVAC Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
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The Honoring our PACT Act will:
• Provide Priority Group 6 healthcare for as many as 3.5 million toxic exposed veterans
• Streamline VA’s review process for establishing toxic exposure presumptions
• Concede exposure to airborne hazards/burn pits based on locations and dates of service
• Require medical exams/opinions for certain veterans with toxic exposure disability claims
• Add hypertension and MGUS to the list of presumptions for Agent Orange exposure
• Establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to burn pits/airborne hazards exposure
• Create a presumption of exposure to radiation for veterans who participated in cleanup activities in Palomares, Spain and Enewetak Atoll
• Expand Agent Orange exposure to veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia • Improve data collection between VA and the Department of Defense
• Commission studies related to incidents of cancer among veterans, health trends of Post 9/11 veterans and feasibility of providing healthcare to dependents of veterans
• Require VA provide standardized training to improve toxic exposure claims adjudications
• Require VA conduct outreach and provide resources to toxic exposed veteran
Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-C.A.) is a member of the HVAC and physician. He laid the blame for the trouble toxic-exposed veterans have in receiving benefits on one entity.
“This is a self-inflicted Department of Defense wound on our service members,” he said.
Last year, Blue Water Navy legislation passed after 40 years, other speakers noted.
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“It is a very personal issue to me,” said Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-M.I.). “I feel burn pits are our generation’s Agent Orange.”
Tom Porter, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America executive vice president, noted cost is the main argument against the legislation but argued that should not stop it.
“When I deployed overseas, no one asked me how I was going to pay for it,” he countered.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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