Cicilline: Honoring Our PACT Act is Long Overdue

Floor Speech

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Takano for his incredible leadership on this legislation and his tireless work on behalf of veterans all across our country.

H.R. 3967, the Honoring Our PACT Act, recognizes the full range of military toxic exposure--from contaminated water at military bases and airborne hazards from burn pits to radiation from atomic testing. And it upholds and recognizes the promise we made to every servicemember that we would care for them should they become wounded or sick while risking everything to protect this country.

This legislation is long overdue, and the least we can do for the more than 3.5 million veterans who are currently suffering and without the healthcare they need and deserve.

These veterans and their loved ones should never have been forced to come to Congress, demanding that we and the VA provide the care that they have so clearly earned.

Which is why I am so glad that this bill ensures that future veterans will be able to get the help they need without waiting decades for help by streamlining the VA's process for establishing toxic exposure presumptions.

I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill and I thank again the Chairman of the Rules Committee for yielding, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Background
H.R. 3987, Honoring our PACT Act is a comprehensive legislative package that will make available healthcare to more than 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service. The legislation also finally recognizes the health effects of exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards.

H.R. 3987 will create presumptions for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers, shifting the burden of proof off our veterans. 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.

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), and Burn Pits 360, among others, support the comprehensive bipartisan package.

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