Rep. Susie Lee Votes to Pass Bipartisan Legislation to Deliver Benefits to Veterans Exposed to Toxins During Service

Statement

Today, Rep. Susie Lee voted to pass the bipartisan H.R. 3967, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which will finally treat toxic exposure as a cost of war by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans and providing them access to earned benefits and health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

"Our veterans have risked their lives to keep us safe," said Rep. Susie Lee. "When we send our service members into harm's way, we make a promise that we will take care of them when they came home. Our veterans have kept their end of the deal and it's long past time that Congress did the same. With this legislation, we're keeping our promise, prioritizing veterans, and committing to paying for the true cost of war. Today, I was proud to vote to pass the bipartisan Honoring our PACT Act to ensure all veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service can access the care and benefits they've earned."

The Honoring our PACT Act is a comprehensive legislative package that will open up health care to over 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service and finally address the health impacts of exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards. It will create presumptions for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers, shifting the burden of proof off our veterans. This means that if a veteran served in a particular theatre at a particular time, they will be presumed to be exposed to toxic substances and therefore potentially eligible for healthcare and benefits. Critically, this bipartisan legislation will also streamline VA's presumption decision making process, so that Congress does not have to keep intervening, and our veterans don't have to wait decades for help.

The legislation is supported by leaders from 11 Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), including:

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW)
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
The American Legion (TAL)
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)
Minority Veterans of America (MVA)
Burn Pits 360

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