[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H3900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         DEADLINE FOR BACKDATED HONORING OUR PACT ACT BENEFITS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, almost exactly a year ago, on August 10, 
2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Honoring our PACT Act, 
which has been correctly described as the largest healthcare and 
benefits expansion in the history of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  This was the result of a 5-year effort by veterans service 
organizations, from The American Legion to the Iraq and Afghan Veterans 
of America, and many others, to bring external pressure on Congress to 
pass a measure which will knock down barriers so that people who are 
suffering the ill effects of toxic exposure will actually have the care 
they earned by wearing the uniform of this country and serving in some 
of the most difficult parts of the world.
  After that measure was signed and had to overcome a last-minute 
filibuster by Senate Republicans, which resulted in a 5-day sleep-in on 
the steps of the Capitol when they finally relented and allowed a 
bipartisan vote to move forward and the bill to the President's desk, 
there was a lot of concern as to whether or not the VA would actually 
move quickly to enact and implement these measures.
  A year into the law, I am happy to report that over 300,000 PACT Act 
claims have been approved; over 100,000 new veterans have been enrolled 
in VA healthcare from the PACT Act planning population; and over 4 
million toxic exposure screenings have been provided.
  The toxic exposure screening is a quick 10- to 15-minute review to 
find people who may be eligible for PACT Act benefits. It is open to 
all veterans, if anyone is listening, not just veterans who are 
enrolled in the VA. All veterans are entitled to have a toxic exposure 
screening.
  The questions asked are whether or not you were exposed to open burn 
pits in the Middle East, Gulf war-related exposures, Agent Orange 
during the Vietnam war, radiation, contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, 
or other exposures.
  In my district, the Second Congressional District, over 1,000 
veterans have filed PACT Act claims, and many have been successful in 
terms of getting their claims approved.
  One gentleman who served during the Vietnam war was in Thailand and 
had Agent Orange illnesses, but because the law prior to the Honoring 
our PACT Act only covered people who were actually in-country in 
Vietnam, he was denied coverage. He was successful in getting a 100 
percent disability approved.

  Another gentleman who served in Guam, another new country that was 
added to the law because of the Honoring our PACT Act, was also able to 
get a 100 percent disability with a backpay award.
  This is real. It is happening in real time. Ten days ago, we held a 
PACT Act claims clinic where staff from the local veterans department 
showed up to screen and also present claims. It was supposed to be only 
3 hours. It went way over time. Two hundred veterans were screened, and 
75 claims were submitted right there on the spot.
  I will end, Mr. Speaker, by saying people should be aware of the fact 
that, on August 9, which is just days away, if someone files an intent 
for a claim or a claim, you are going to be entitled to a backpay award 
to the date that President Biden signed this measure into law. Any 
claims filed after August 9 will not be entitled to that backpay award.
  Claims will still be open and can be approved by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, but in terms of getting that backpay award from the 
date of enactment, it is critical that people file either an intent to 
file a claim or a claim itself to be eligible for those benefits.
  If people have questions, they can go to VA.gov/PACT to answer any of 
those questions.
  This was a great effort that was the result of a grassroots push by 
veterans all across our country. We must make sure that every single 
veteran gets the benefits that the law opened the door to.

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