[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Honoring Our PACT Act of 2021

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, every Senator here has a serious 
responsibility to make sure that our veterans get the support and help 
they are promised after their service to our country, and that includes 
making sure that those who have been harmed by toxic exposures during 
their service get the service and care they deserve. It seems pretty 
simple, but I hope we can hold up our end of the bargain today.
  My dad was a World War II veteran--he was a Purple Heart recipient--
and when he got really sick with multiple sclerosis, help from the VA 
made a huge difference for my family. So I want to really thank 
Senators Tester and Moran for their persistent work on this bill. I am 
glad we have come to a bipartisan agreement on the PACT Act because it 
does matter, it will help people, and it will save lives.
  Right now, the reality is that too many veterans are living with 
chronic illness and respiratory diseases as a result of toxic exposures 
from their time serving our country in uniform. I have heard countless 
stories about the challenges they have faced struggling to get access 
to VA care and benefits they have earned, and that is unacceptable.
  I believe very strongly that no one who put their life or health on 
the line for our Nation should face hurdles getting the care or medical 
treatment they need as a result of that sacrifice. When they signed up 
to serve, we told them we would have their backs long after their 
service, so if we are going to live up to our promise, then we need to 
pass comprehensive legislation to ensure all veterans have access to 
the VA services they deserve. Simply put, we need to pass this PACT 
Act.
  With this bill, generations of toxic-exposed veterans would finally 
be able to get the high-quality care they need, and the VA will get the 
resources needed to process claims efficiently and better serve our 
veterans.
  I remember, back when I was 22 years old, I interned at the Seattle 
veterans hospital. I have visited with and met with VA staff in every 
part of Washington State. The doctors, the nurses, and everyone else 
working at our VA medical centers really care about this work, they 
care about this Nation, and they care about their mission, but they 
need us here in Congress to care just as much and fight just as hard 
for their patients, our veterans. That is really what this bill is 
about.
  When VA was considering closing or reducing services in Walla Walla, 
I fought back to make sure that our veterans in rural Washington were 
able to see a doctor without having to drive 2 hours or longer, 
sometimes through a lot of rain and snow.
  About 1 in every 10 residents in Washington State is a veteran, and I 
am privileged enough to serve on the Senate Veterans' Affairs 
Committee. It is my job to be a voice for Washington State veterans who 
are in Seattle or Spokane or Walla Walla or anywhere, and that is a job 
I take seriously. That is why I have been continually pressing the VA 
Secretary to cut redtape and make sure the VA caregivers program works 
for everyone who needs it, the way we wrote it. It is why I introduced 
the Helping Heroes Act to get families and kids of disabled veterans 
the assistance they need. It is why I will keep doing everything in my 
power to hold the VA accountable for its really unacceptable rollout of 
the electronic health record system in Washington State.
  There is a lot we need to do to really make sure the VA works for 
veterans, but passing the PACT Act, getting this done, is an important 
and meaningful process.
  Washington State veterans deserve the very best the VA has to offer, 
and there should be absolutely nothing controversial about making sure 
all veterans across all generations who are suffering from chronic 
illness get the care they have earned.
  I am glad to see we have bipartisan support for this bill. Let's get 
it done and to the President's desk.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.