[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 186 (Thursday, November 9, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H5656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             PFAS-EXPOSED VETERANS NEED HEALTHCARE BENEFITS

  (Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the VET PFAS 
Act, legislation to ensure PFAS-exposed veterans get the healthcare 
benefits that they need through the Veterans Administration.
  For decades, the Department of Defense has known that toxic PFAS 
chemicals cause serious health issues. Yet the VA continues to deny 
veterans, like Lieutenant Colonel Sauer, coverage for PFAS-related 
illnesses.
  Lieutenant Sauer served in the Army for 22 years and was stationed at 
10 bases with known PFAS contamination. Due to that exposure, he now 
has an uncertain and uncurable form of cancer.
  Lieutenant Colonel Sauer is sick because of his service to this 
country, but he has been denied access to care from the VA. When 
Lieutenant Sauer joined the military, we promised to take care of him 
when he came home. Right now, we are not making good on that sacred 
promise.
  There are thousands of veterans like Lieutenant Colonel Sauer who 
have been impacted by harmful PFAS chemicals. That is why I am calling 
for us to immediately take up the VET PFAS Act and keep the promise we 
made to the people who put on the uniform of this Nation.

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