Bipartisan legislation supported by CSWAB and other members of the national Cease Fire Campaign to give all generations of toxic-exposed veterans their earned health care and benefits under the Veterans Affairs (VA), was signed into law today by U.S. President Joe Biden.
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics of 2022 —or PACT Act —passed Congress this week and will expand VA health care eligibility to post-9/11 combat veterans, many of whom were exposed to open-air burn pits that were used throughout the 1990s and the post-9/11 wars to burn garbage, jet fuel, and other materials.
Veterans diagnosed with cancer, respiratory issues, and lung disease at young ages have blamed exposure to the toxic fumes from these pits, but the Department of Veterans Affairs contended for years that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support their claims. With passage of the PACT Act, more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans will now be eligible for expanded VA benefits
“The legislation will expand VA health care eligibility to Post-9/11 combat veterans, which includes more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans,” said Laura Olah, National Coordinator for the Cease Fire Campaign. “It will also add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to VA’s list of service presumptions, and expands presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure to include Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll.”
The Cease Fire Campaign seeks to protect human health and the environment by calling for the immediate implementation of safer alternatives to open air burning, detonation and incineration/combustion of military munitions. More than 70 social justice, environmental health, tribal, veterans service and conservation groups have endorsed the Campaign’s goal statement.
More at https://cswab.org/cease-fire-campaign/participating-organizations/ .