Jenniffer González promotes legislation benefiting Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange
Press Release
With the goal of ensuring beneficial opportunities for our nation's veterans, the Resident Commissioner, Jenniffer González-Colón, backed two bipartisan measures presented by Rep. Bruce Westerman, Republican leader of the Natural Resources Committee, to guarantee that veterans exposed to agent orange during the Vietnam War receive the healthcare benefites they earned.
"For me, it is crucial that our veterans who have sacrificed so much to protect our nation receive the benefits that correspond to their service, it is the least we could do for them and their families. I will continue fighting for and supporting legislation in Congress that extends veteran protection and medical attention, and all other needs, that they deserve," said the Resident Commissioner.
H.R. 2268, Keeping Our Promises Act (Manteniendo Nuestras Promesas), seeks to ensure that certain medical conditions are presumed to be serviced connected and related to the exposure to herbicides for certain veterans who fought in Vietnam. Under this legislation, 6 medical conditions will be added to the Veteran's Assistance list of eligible medical conditions for benefits regarding exposure to agent orange; prostate cancer, amyloidosis AL, early-onset peripheral neuropathy, myocardial ischemia, heart attack, and hypertension, manifested with a degree of disability of 10 percent or more.
H.R. 2269, the Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Our Veterans from Thailand in the Vietnam Era, seeks to ensure that all veterans who served in the Thailand base during the Vietnam War, independently of their rank or position, who are assumed to have been exposed to herbicides, receive the benefits and the medical attention they have earned. Additionally, it extends the date recognized end date of service in Thailand during the Vietnam War to June 30, 1976.
For this 117th Congress, the Resident Commissioner has already ratified three measures with direct impact to veterans, promoting employment and better services, and has co-sponsored another six measures with the goal of providing better service to our war heroes.
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