[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 39 (Thursday, March 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





    HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2022

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, as the proud Representative of more than 
20,000 veterans in California's 18th Congressional District, I rise in 
support of H.R. 3967, the Honoring Our PACT Act. This long-overdue 
legislation makes good on our promise to care for those who have risked 
their lives to defend our country.
  Today, most veterans who seek care and compensation from the VA for 
medical conditions resulting from service-connected exposure to toxic 
substances are denied because the VA maintains highly restrictive 
standards for what constitutes toxic exposure. For years, I've heard 
from veterans in my District who have described the great frustration 
of being denied the care and compensation they need.
  The Honoring Our PACT Act addresses this issue by acknowledging that 
toxic exposure is a cost of war. The bill recognizes many new 
categories of veterans as eligible for care and compensation for toxic 
exposure, including veterans exposed to burn pits, atomic radiation, 
PFAS, and other dangerous substances. If enacted, the CBO estimates 
this legislation will increase the number of veterans receiving VA 
healthcare by 15 percent over the next decade.
  Importantly, H.R. 3967 finally puts into place a legal recourse for 
veterans and their families who were exposed to toxic chemicals in 
drinking water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Many of these veterans 
suffer from cancer, Parkinson's disease, and ALS as a result of their 
exposure, but they've been denied compensation because of an anomaly in 
North Carolina state law. I've consistently advocated for remedying 
this injustice, and I'm pleased that the Honoring Our PACT Act does so 
by establishing a federal cause of action related to contaminated water 
at Camp Lejeune.
  When our country sends our brave women and men of the U.S. Armed 
Forces into harm's way, it is our collective responsibility to provide 
them with the health services, opportunities, and care they've earned. 
Passing the Honoring Our PACT Act strengthens this sacred promise, and 
I urge all my colleagues to support this bill and vote yes.

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