Courtney Votes To Honor America's Promise To Veterans Suffering From Toxic Exposure

Statement

Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) voted to pass the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act (H.R. 3967), a bipartisan bill that would finally treat toxic exposure as a cost of war by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans--including access to earned benefits and healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Rep. Courtney is a co-sponsor of the Honoring Our PACT Act, which passed the House today by a vote of 256-174.

"The Honoring Our PACT Act would make sure we're paying our debt to millions of veterans who have served our country across generations," said Congressman Courtney, "from older vets who served in Vietnam, to today's generation who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. These men and women wore the uniform of the United States, they served honorably, and we know that many of the toxins and chemicals they came into contact with during their service led directly to serious cancers and illnesses. We've been working for years to tear down the red tape over at the VA, and this bill knocks out a good amount--it instructs the VA to recognize twenty-three new illnesses and cancers as "presumptive' for disability compensation, shifting a huge burden off our vets. There's more work to do to secure earned benefits for all of America's veterans, especially those suffering from Agent Orange exposure from Vietnam, but this is a big step forward for millions of vets and their families--proud to help pass this bipartisan bill."

The Honoring our PACT Act is a comprehensive, bipartisan package that will open healthcare benefits to over 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service. It concedes exposure to burn pits based on locations and dates of service, and would establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to burn pits and airborne hazards exposure, shifting the burden of proof off our veterans--meaning 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.

The bill will also streamline the 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. Specifically, the Honoring Our PACT Act will:

Provide Priority Group 6 health care for certain toxic exposed veterans
Provide extension of combat eligibility for health care from 5 to 10 years with a one-year open enrollment period for those veterans who missed their window.
Streamline the VA's review process for establishing toxic exposure presumptions
Concede exposure to airborne hazards and burn pits based on locations and dates of service
Require medical exams and opinions for certain veterans with toxic exposure disability claims
Add hypertension and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance 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 to provide standardized training to improve toxic exposure disability claims adjudications
Require VA to conduct outreach and provide resources to toxic exposed veterans
The Honoring Our PACT Act has drawn support from nationwide 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, and more.

Click here to read more about the bill from the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

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