[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 113 (Tuesday, July 9, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4513-H4519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WORKING FOR VETERANS' BENEFITS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here today with my
friend, assistant Democratic leader Joe Neguse, to talk about my law,
the Honoring our PACT Act.
It was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August of 2022 and
has since helped more than a million veterans and their survivors
receive the healthcare and benefits that they have earned.
In the 116th Congress, we passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans
Act of 2019 that helped blue water Navy veterans receive care and
benefits for exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam war.
These veterans waited decades for this relief. I am so glad that we
could help them cut red tape and make it easier for them to receive
healthcare for certain conditions, but it took way too long to get it
done.
After blue water Navy, we were hearing from veterans around the
country about being exposed to burn pits and other toxins when they
were serving our country more recently. They were experiencing serious
illnesses that they thought were connected to their toxic exposure.
Many of these servicemembers were directed to throw trash, plastic,
and other items into burn pits, and this meant breathing in the toxic
air, or they were exposed to jet fuel for long periods of time due to
their job in the service.
It is easy to look back and think that this was not a good idea, but
they did not have a choice at that time and were following orders.
It was taking the Department of Veterans Affairs too long to address
these veterans' illnesses on its own due to the perceived cost and the
difficulty in obtaining the scientific evidence needed in order to
help.
We knew there was a strong need, and with the lessons learned from
blue water, we knew we needed to act. This was the origin of the
Honoring our PACT Act.
When we send our servicemembers into harm's way, we make a pact to
care for them when they come home. This is one of the most sacred
promises in our country and the ultimate goal of this law.
Thanks to the PACT Act, veterans no longer need to prove the
connection between their service and an illness. The law outlines 23
categories of presumptive respiratory illnesses and cancers,
representing over 300 individual conditions for which veterans can
quickly get healthcare and benefits. Since the law was signed, several
more presumptive conditions have been added to the list with more on
the way.
Congress was able to work together on a bipartisan basis to get this
done for veterans. Unfortunately, not much has gotten done for veterans
since then, which truly troubles me. Helping those who have served
should be a nonpartisan issue and one that gets due attention, no
matter which party is in charge.
I will continue momentarily, but I yield to my friend from Colorado
(Mr. Neguse), our assistant Democratic leader.
Mr. NEGUSE. First, let me say, Mr. Speaker, that we are so grateful
to the
[[Page H4514]]
ranking member for his steadfast leadership in leading the Veterans'
Affairs Committee, and of course, his leadership with respect to the
PACT Act.
I couldn't be more grateful to the colleagues that I have the
privilege of serving with in the House Democratic Caucus, whom the
country will hear from tonight, many of whom are veterans, people like
Representative Deluzio and Representative Carbajal, individuals who
have given a great deal to our country, made countless sacrifices, and
now are leading the charge here in Congress to protect our veterans.
I couldn't be more grateful to people like Dr. Raul Ruiz whose
leadership year after year make the case for the Congress to treat this
particular issue with the urgency that it deserves, ultimately
culminating in the PACT Act.
The PACT Act, as you heard from our ranking member, marked the
largest expansion of benefits in a generation, cutting red tape and
waiting times for veterans who were exposed to toxins and developed
certain illnesses.
It was historic in that it provided benefits to generations of
veterans, many of whom were long forgotten. There are one million PACT
Act claims, Mr. Speaker, and we are just getting started.
For the families who have suffered the ultimate loss, the PACT Act
means access to life insurance, to tuition benefits for their surviving
family members, home loan assistance, monthly stipends, and more.
Mr. Speaker, you will hear from Mr. Jim Costa and Mr. Tim Kennedy and
so many other members of our caucus the same admonition, which is that
we have to do everything in our power to provide for the families of
fallen servicemembers.
We have made progress in that regard, but there is much more for us
to do. House Democrats stand ready, as we always are and will be, to
get that job done.
I thank the ranking member again for his leadership, I thank the
members of the House Democratic Caucus for their leadership, and I look
forward to making more progress in the days, months, and years ahead.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Deluzio), a veteran, and up until recently, an esteemed member of the
House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding
time.
I think we can all agree in this body that this country has a sacred
obligation to care for those that wore the uniform, who served in peace
or in war or both, and that starts with adequately funding and staffing
the VA to make sure that those who have earned their benefits, who have
earned their care, can receive them.
That is why the Honoring our PACT Act that the ranking member and so
many others got through this Congress is such a big deal. It is why it
is so powerful. It expands VA healthcare and benefits for veterans
exposed to toxic chemicals across generations who have served, and it
fulfills that sacred promise this country has made.
Veterans have long been exposed to some nasty stuff in service in
Vietnam, the Gulf war, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places. My
generation saw burn pit exposure in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
We now know how dangerous this exposure can be and is for folks;
cancers and diseases.
The PACT Act meets this moment. It adds a presumption of service-
related illnesses coming from that toxic exposure. It cuts through red
tape that had been blocking too many veterans from the care they have
earned.
We see the numbers. Over a million veterans and survivors have
already had claims approved under the PACT Act. That is a big deal. It
means those veterans and their families now have access to those
benefits that are hard earned that their service ought to have
guaranteed.
In this body we often have hot air, debates, all the rest. Here is
some practical advice. Last year, we saw veterans have a deadline to
submit their intent to file, and many did. That was to get backdated
benefits back to when this bill passed the Congress in 2022.
Veterans and survivors who submitted that intent to file need to
submit an actual claim as soon as possible if they have not yet done
that. That is to ensure they get the most out of the PACT Act for those
benefits that they have earned. They have a year after submitting
intent to file to submit their final claim forms to receive those
backdated benefits.
{time} 1730
Mr. Speaker, VA.gov is the website to do it, to get more information,
check the status of your claim. My office and the office, I am sure, of
every Member here is willing to help a veteran. Go see a VSO, a veteran
service organization, an accredited claims agent, an attorney. You can
find some help.
I remind my fellow veterans of this: These are earned benefits. You
have earned them through your service. Make sure that you are getting
what you need to take care of yourself and your family.
The PACT Act is a big deal, but it is only going to be successful if
we fund it, if we make sure every veteran in this country knows what
they have earned, and we give the VA the resources they need to meet
veterans' demands.
That is our task in this body. I will work with everyone here to get
it done. I am proud of the work we have done in this Congress.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California
(Mr. Ruiz), who helped me champion veterans last Congress, an amazing
doctor, and an amazing neighbor of mine.
Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
The Honoring our PACT Act is the most significant expansion of
healthcare access and benefits for veterans in generations.
Now, over 5 million veterans and family members will have the peace
of mind that if they become ill due to their exposure to toxic burn
pits or they are disabled and cannot work, or God forbid, they pass
away, they will receive the benefits that they need to overcome an
illness, the healthcare to be able to stay at home with their family
because they are unable to work, and if they pass, they will have peace
of mind that their family will get their benefits.
Look, for many years I have brought this issue up in committees, in
the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the general public that veterans
were dying of cancers, veterans were unable to breathe due to pulmonary
illnesses, all of which were due to the toxic air that they breathe
from the smoke from burn pits.
The initial excuses were the evidence does not show any correlation.
As a scientist, I refuted that. They asked the wrong questions, and
their methodologies were flawed.
Then the other excuse was that it was too expensive. Well, our values
are to put the lives of our veterans first and foremost. We send them
to war without consideration of the cost of war; therefore, it is our
moral obligation to take care of veterans.
I fought this tooth and nail under the banner of the name of Jennifer
Kepner, a veteran who served in Balad Air Base in Iraq who died of
pancreatic cancer. Before she died, I met with her at home at her
kitchen table. She made me promise that no other veteran should suffer
what she went through in trying to get the care and the benefits for
her family. We accomplished and fulfilled that promise when we
introduced the presumptive benefits for warfighters exposed to burn
pits and other toxins which was included in the Honoring our PACT Act,
which was the heart and soul of the Honoring our PACT Act because it
gave presumptive benefits to 23 illnesses and categories of illnesses
which total over 300 illnesses--and that is continuing to grow.
The reason why we are here is because House Democrats continue to
fight hard to ensure the implementation of the PACT Act.
Last year, I spoke very frequently about a pending deadline for
veterans to file an intent to file a claim for the PACT Act, which if
they did so within a year after they filed that intent to file, they
would get presumptive benefits and backpay to the day that the law was
enacted.
We are nearing the deadline of that intent to file, which means that
veterans had a year to file their claim, to get that backpay until the
day the law was signed, and if they haven't then they should do so
before August 14 or before the year of when they filed that intent.
[[Page H4515]]
If they do so, then they will get their pay and their benefits to the
date of when the law was signed. If they don't or if they miss that
year after they filed that intent, they should not despair. It is not
as if this is your last chance of getting the claims; the only
difference will be that they will get their benefits backtracked to the
date that they filed their claim from that point on.
It is very urgent that we inform our veterans that if they filed an
intent to file that they file the claim before the end of the year to
the date that they filed their intent to file. That is why it is very
important that veterans go to VA.gov, the VA website, or call 1-800-
827-1000, call their Members of Congress, work with their county
veteran service organizations representative or any of the VSOs and get
the information that is needed so they don't miss out on the additional
full benefits that the PACT Act gave our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank everybody who was involved. I thank
President Biden and Secretary McDonough who were the game changers
during this long fight that we have been having that culminated in such
a victory for our veterans.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, let me add that Representative Ruiz--Dr.
Ruiz was instrumental in the part of this PACT Act package that dealt
with the 23 presumptive illnesses.
Let's be clear that the 23 presumptive illnesses aren't just 23
diseases. They are actually buckets, Mr. Speaker, 23 buckets, we are
talking more like 300 illnesses that are covered by the PACT Act.
We endeavored hard to make sure that veterans did not have to wait
decades for all of the hard scientific evidence to come in. We relied
on analogues, such as the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, and the
toxic substances that our first responders were subjected to, and we
observed that those first responders had a pattern of illnesses that
began to arise in numbers that did not match what would be in the
general population and we could use such approaches to begin to
identify those very similar kinds of diseases that were arising from
exposure to toxic burn pits.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), a
longtime advocate for veterans.
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I commend the hard work and the efforts and
the passion that Representative Takano, the ranking member on the
committee and previous chair, has given to this issue. The hard work
finally has paid off, and for that we thank him.
For far too long, our Nation has failed to honor its promise to all
our veterans who are victims of toxic exposures. It is our sacred
obligation, I believe, to take care of the troops we send in harm's
way--that is the American way--and to take care of them and their
families when they return home.
Sadly, nearly 3.5 million veterans have been exposed to the
contaminants such as burn pits, toxic fragments, radiation, and other
hazardous materials during their deployment.
Until the mid-2010s, the burn pits were commonly used in Iraq and
Afghanistan and other locations to dispose of waste collected at
military bases.
Well, we have discovered that the aftermath has resulted in drastic
impacts to those veterans. Nearly 3.5 million deployed veterans were
exposed to burn pits in the last 30 years. Think about that, 3.5
million veterans. Mr. Speaker, 70 percent of the disability claims
involving these toxic exposures were denied--they were denied by the
Veterans Administration, and that is just wrong--leaving many of them,
including 750,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, without any benefits.
That is disgraceful.
House Democrats and President Biden fought like hell to change this,
and we did. The PACT Act is the largest expansion--think about this--
the largest expansion of benefits for service for toxic-exposed
veterans in over 30 years through the hard work of Representative
Takano and other members on that committee joining with our Democratic
Caucus.
We have added over 23 presumptive conditions, or categories as was
noted before, for burn pits and Agent Orange and expanded the VA
healthcare to millions of veterans, including those who served in
Vietnam, the Gulf war, and post-9/11 eras.
Mr. Speaker, 2 years later, we are beginning to see the results. It
is long overdue. More than 5.6 million veterans have received
screenings for toxic exposures. Over 1 million veteran claims have been
granted by the Veterans Administration, a 75 percent approval rate for
PACT Act-related claims.
What a change.
Nearly 24,000 veterans in my district alone, the 24th District in the
San Joaquin Valley, are eligible for benefits, including 2,100
processed claims and a total of over $5.17 billion in retroactive
awards for PACT Act-related benefits for veterans and their survivors.
This is a sea change. It is a big deal.
I thank President Biden, and I thank Secretary McDonough for their
help. I thank all those Members who have been involved in this for
their hard work. I am proud to have been a cosponsor and to have voted
for this historic law that has improved the lives of veterans in my
district and nationwide and their families, for the families sacrifice,
as well, and we should never ever forget that.
In closing, we must continue to build upon the success and to ensure
that our veterans can retire with the dignity and the respect they
deserve because they have earned it. They have earned it.
The bottom line is this: For those men and women who are currently
serving our country, we thank you, and we think of you every day. For
the veterans and their families--as I said, the families sacrifice, as
well--a grateful nation can never ever say thank you enough.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California
(Mr. Carbajal), a strong advocate for veterans, a marine veteran
himself and my good friend.
Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, as a proud marine veteran and the Representative for
more than 34,000 of my fellow veterans across California's 24th
Congressional District, I am proud to see the real impact that the
Honoring our PACT Act has had for veterans and their families across
the United States.
Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, we came together with President Joe Biden
to pass the largest and most significant expansion of veterans benefits
in more than 30 years.
Since then, we have seen more than 1.5 million claims filed for toxic
exposures and other health risks resulting from service in Vietnam, the
Gulf war, and wars of the post-9/11 era.
More than 2,000 of those claims have come from veterans in my own
region.
We cannot give up the momentum on this important bill.
While we have seen so many already utilizing these expanded benefits,
current estimates suggest that more than 5 million veterans were
exposed to some amount of toxic substances during their military
service.
That is why I am encouraging all veterans who submitted an intent to
file last summer make sure they are following through and submitting an
actual claim as soon as possible to ensure that our veterans can get
backdated benefits to the date that this bill was signed into law.
I thank Ranking Member Takano and the House Democratic leadership for
helping uplift this important deadline and reminding the American
people in our veteran communities that we are still here every week
fighting for their health, safety, and prosperity, all of which were
earned by their years and decades of service.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have the urge to say ``oorah.'' I thank
the gentleman for his service to our country, not only as a
Representative but also as a marine veteran.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr.
Magaziner).
{time} 1745
Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, ``Our debt to the heroic men and valiant
women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have
earned our undying gratitude.'' These words spoken by President Harry
Truman still ring true to this day.
Millions of servicemembers and veterans have answered the call to
serve and protect the freedoms that we hold dear. Just as our Nation's
servicemembers make a promise to leave no one behind on the
battlefield, we must leave no veteran behind when they come home.
[[Page H4516]]
The PACT Act honors this promise. It is the largest expansion of VA
benefits in a generation and ensures that millions of veterans who have
been exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits, and other toxins during their
military service receive the care that they have earned and deserve.
The PACT Act is one of the greatest accomplishments of the Biden-
Harris administration, and it was made possible by the leadership of
then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chairman Mark Takano, among many others.
In Rhode Island, more than 3,200 veterans have already received PACT
Act benefits with another 4,000 projected to be added to the program in
the coming years. Over 1 million veterans and their families have
received PACT Act benefits nationally.
I have been working very closely with my Rhode Island Second
Congressional District military and veterans advisory committee to
spread the word about the PACT Act and how veterans in our district can
access those benefits.
However, there is still more work to be done. All too often, benefits
claims sharks exploit veterans and their families with exorbitant fees.
We must do more to protect veterans and their families from these
predatory practices.
We must also ensure that veterans and their family members who were
exposed to toxic PFAS chemicals on military bases and elsewhere receive
the healthcare that they need, and I have cosponsored legislation to
make that a reality.
We must always fight to ensure that veterans receive the care and
benefits they deserve because they deserve nothing but the very best.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend from North
Carolina, a great champion of veterans, Representative Deborah Ross.
Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the historic PACT
Act. Thanks to this critical legislation, we are closer today than ever
to ensuring every single veteran has access to the exceptional care and
benefits they deserve.
In less than 2 years, I am happy to report, as my colleagues have
also reported, 1 million PACT Act claims have been granted to more than
800,000 veterans and survivors across the country.
As the proud daughter of an Air Force veteran and a doctor, it is
especially meaningful to recognize this milestone today.
We make a sacred promise to all of our Nation's veterans that after
bravely serving our country in uniform, we will care for them when they
return home. That is why we can and must do more to ensure that no
veteran faces financial or logistical barriers to accessing the medical
treatment and benefits they are owed.
Crucially, the PACT Act included the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, our
bipartisan bill to enable servicemembers from Camp Lejeune who were
exposed to toxic chemicals to pursue long-overdue justice in court.
This legislation, unfortunately, did not go quite far enough, and too
many veterans continue to face unacceptable barriers to accessing the
remedies.
I recently introduced, with Congressman Greg Murphy, who is also a
doctor, the bipartisan Camp Lejeune Justice Corrections Act to make
additional reforms, including capping attorney's fees, expanding
jurisdiction to alleviate the large backlog of cases our courts are
facing, and clarifying the right to a jury trial.
Today and every day, let's continue the fight to support our
courageous veterans, servicemembers, and their families.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina
for her work on the section of the PACT Act that relates to justice for
those servicemembers who were in residence at Camp Lejeune. It is a
decades-long effort to bring justice for those members, and I urge our
government to move as expeditiously as possible to get those claims
settled with all of our veterans across the country who have served at
Camp Lejeune.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from Ohio, a member of the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs and a fierce advocate for veterans,
Representative Greg Landsman.
Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Takano for hosting
tonight and for his leadership on the PACT Act, which has helped so
many veterans.
Our veterans and servicemembers have sacrificed so much on behalf of
all of us. We know now that during their service, millions were exposed
to toxic substances, and these exposures have caused serious health
issues for so many.
This is why, 2 years ago, Representative Takano and others passed the
PACT Act. This landmark legislation expanded healthcare for veterans
exposed to these toxic substances. Since its passage, over 32,000
Ohioans and over 1 million veterans nationwide have had their PACT Act
claims granted by the VA. This means that these folks are finally
getting the healthcare they deserve.
As a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am proud
to serve our veterans and advocate for better benefits, more funding,
and continued investment in their well-being.
In our district, we have over 30,000 veterans. By ensuring the
continued acceptance of PACT Act claims, funding the VA properly, and
passing important veteran legislation like our Employing Veterans to
Feed America Act, which provides jobs for veterans, we are doing
important work.
I am grateful for all the veterans in southwest Ohio and across the
country. I promise to keep working to improve their lives and the lives
of their loved ones.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Landsman for his amazing
advocacy for our Nation's veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend from the State of New Mexico,
the Land of Enchantment, Representative Melanie Stansbury.
Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor our
veterans and to celebrate and highlight the extraordinary passage of
the PACT Act, which is the single-most significant expansion of
veterans' benefits in generations. We passed that bill here in Congress
under Democratic leadership with the support of President Joe Biden
just 2 years ago.
It expands VA benefits to over 3 million veterans across the United
States. In New Mexico, we have a long and proud tradition of service
that extends across all of our communities, from the Navajo Code
Talkers and the heroes of Bataan to the veterans of Iraq and
Afghanistan.
The courage, valor, and dedication of our veterans are woven into the
very fabric of who we are as New Mexicans. In fact, over 133,000 New
Mexicans have served this great Nation, including my own veteran at
home, my partner who served this country in the United States Marine
Corps.
To all of our veterans and Active-Duty military, we thank them every
day for their service and sacrifice. We are here because of the
sacrifices they have made to defend this country and our democracy.
We must also thank those veterans who fought to pass the PACT Act
itself, including, among them, New Mexico's own Master Sergeant Jessey
Baca of the New Mexico Air National Guard and his wife, Maria, who
fought for over a decade for our veterans exposed to burn pits and who
stood on the steps of this Capitol Building to help get the PACT Act
passed.
Now, it is up to us as leaders across the country to ensure that our
veterans and our families are cared for. We know that when we care for
our veterans, we care for New Mexicans.
Voting for the PACT Act was one of the proudest moments of my service
to this country here in Congress. Today, one of my greatest and most
awesome and humbling duties is to ensure that every New Mexican veteran
accesses the benefits of the PACT Act.
To those who have not yet signed up who have served this country and,
over the course of their service, were exposed to burn pits, toxins,
and other workplace hazards, there is still time. The VA is there for
them. They have their backs, and so do we.
To all of our veterans who have served this great country, they have
put everything on the line. Now, it is our turn for the PACT Act to
serve them. I thank them for their service and sacrifice.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another great friend from the
great State of North Carolina, an amazing advocate for veterans and
someone who
[[Page H4517]]
has been a fierce advocate for justice for our Camp Lejeune veterans,
the amazing Representative Kathy Manning.
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his hard work and
friendship.
Mr. Speaker, for far too long, millions of veterans exposed to toxins
like burn pits and contaminated water did not receive the care and
benefits they earned. That is why, in the last Congress, House
Democrats took action to correct this injustice.
I was proud to help pass the PACT Act, historic legislation to
deliver long-overdue benefits and healthcare to 3.5 million veterans
exposed to toxins while serving our country.
The PACT Act expanded eligibility for healthcare at the VA, including
expanded coverage for illnesses related to Agent Orange. For veterans'
families who lost their loved ones, the law may provide monthly
stipends and access to life insurance, among other benefits.
Now, 2 years after President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, it
is helping veterans and their families across the country. The VA has
received over 1.4 million PACT Act claims, including over 4,700 claims
from veterans in my home district, North Carolina's Sixth District.
Our country has an obligation to care for those who bravely serve our
Nation. With the PACT Act, Democrats and the Biden administration are
delivering on that promise. I was proud to help pass this deeply
important legislation and support the thousands of veterans in my
district who are now able to get the care they need.
Mr. Speaker, I will always work to honor the sacrifices America's
veterans have made and to ensure they are treated with the respect and
dignity they deserve.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend from the State of
Minnesota, another great champion of veterans and someone who has a
veteran's medical center in her district, Representative Ilhan Omar.
Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, we passed the PACT Act, one of
the most consequential pieces of legislation to address the severe
health problems that so many of our veterans who served our great
country are facing. I thank my colleague, Congressman Mark Takano, for
his leadership in getting this bill across the finish line.
{time} 1800
This bill has made it easier for veterans and their families to get
the relief and the care they deserve.
I have heard from so many Minnesotans on how life-changing this
legislation has been, from Brian who lost his wife to pancreatic cancer
to Andrew who lost his brother to leukemia and to Amanda whose husband
Rafael was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer and is now getting the
treatment he deserves because of the PACT Act.
All of the family members and veterans I have met with know this bill
could have been a game changer for them, their loved one, or just how
crucial it is to help the next veteran.
Whether it was Agent Orange in Vietnam or exposure to toxic waters at
Camp Lejeune or burn pits and other toxic exposures in Iraq and
Afghanistan, this is a part of our military's history and legacy. I am
glad we are finally addressing it in the most comprehensive way it
deserves.
While I am grateful this program has been enacted to provide veterans
and their loved ones with the care and benefits they have earned and
deserve, only a small percentage of Minnesotans are taking advantage of
this program. Less than 10,000 veterans out of more than 100,000
veterans in Minnesota who qualify under this program have enrolled. It
is crucial that we continue to get the word out about this lifesaving
program.
Mr. Speaker, to see if you or someone you know qualifies, please go
to va.gov/pact.
I will not stop fighting until every one of my constituents who is
eligible receives the care they deserve, and I will keep advocating for
crucial reforms to stop future servicemen and -women from experiencing
the same hardships, because when we ask young people to serve our
country in uniform, we should not also be asking them to expose their
bodies to toxins and to live with the consequences of those toxins for
the rest of their lives.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Ilhan Omar for all
her amazing work to help the veterans in her district and across our
country.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy),
who is the newest member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the veterans who have made
great personal sacrifices to serve our country.
To all those who have donned the military uniform, on behalf of a
grateful nation, I say thank you.
First, I would like to express my gratitude to Assistant Leader Joe
Neguse and Ranking Member Mark Takano for holding this Special Order to
honor our veterans. From burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan to Agent
Orange in Vietnam, veterans exposed to toxic substances face challenges
that impact their quality of life and long-term health.
We owe it to our veterans who have defended democracy and preserved
our precious freedoms to deliver the benefits that they have earned and
deserved. That is why Democrats passed and President Biden signed into
law the PACT Act which represents the largest expansion of benefits and
services for veterans exposed to toxins during their time in service in
over 30 years.
To date, over 1 million PACT Act claims have been approved. People
are receiving the care and benefits that they need and deserve. As an
added success, the law has led to an increase in veterans accessing
medical services from VA hospitals, crucially including a generation of
Vietnam veterans. Additionally, the widows of veterans will receive
compensation because of this law, fulfilling the Nation's duty of care
to the families of veterans.
The PACT Act is making a difference for veterans in New York and
across the country in accessing the benefits that they need to lead
healthy lives.
Again, I say to our veterans: our Nation is forever indebted to you
for your noble service. God bless you all.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Kennedy for hitting
the ground running as one of our newest Representatives. I know he is
going to be getting the message out to the veterans who live in his
district to make sure that they submit their PACT Act claims and to
access the benefits that they have earned through their service.
When President Biden signed the Honoring our PACT Act, he declared
that every eligible veteran should be able to apply immediately. We had
written the law in such a way that the healthcare and benefits would be
phased in, but President Biden decided that every veteran should be
able to apply for benefits as soon as it became law.
Within 24 hours, the Department of Veterans Affairs had created a
website where veterans and their families could learn more about the
law and how to apply for benefits. This shows how committed President
Biden has been with House Democrats to support the veteran community.
He understood what a difference this important law would make for
veterans, and he did not want them to wait to be able to apply.
The successful implementation of the PACT Act shows that the Biden
Administration was invested in helping veterans and implemented this
law far faster than most laws. We all know, and we all knew veterans
and their families could not wait any longer. This was many years
coming for veterans who were already facing illness or cancer from
toxic exposure, and many of these veterans were able to get updated
disability ratings and access to healthcare.
I find it odd that while the PACT Act is sometimes known as the burn
pits bill, when we talk about veterans waiting for decades, the PACT
Act actually addressed Agent Orange claims and exposure to Agent Orange
that had not been covered by previous legislation. So this took care of
unfinished business with Agent Orange and exposure to radiation. So
those veterans who were from previous conflicts, conflicts previous to
Afghanistan and Iraq, were also eligible to get their toxic exposure
illnesses addressed and covered by this legislation.
In fact, this legislation covers veterans who were involved in the
global war on terror around the world. It was
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not just confined to those veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Before the PACT Act, veterans were likely to need to prove exposure
to specific chemicals in order to receive healthcare and benefits. This
is nearly impossible when talking about burn pits because of the myriad
of materials that were burned in them. Over 6 million veterans and
their survivors have completed a toxic exposure screening to ensure
they are eligible for care and benefits now and in the future.
VA also announced recently that over 1 million veterans had been
granted their disability benefits, which is tremendous news, less than
2 years since this bill became law.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the veterans service
organizations who all came together to support this bill and willed it
into law. They showed Congress and President Biden just how important
it was that we took care of veterans and their survivors.
Democrats and President Biden have proven time and time again that we
do not just say thank you for your service. Our actions show just how
grateful we are for that service and that we were willing to pay for
all the costs of war.
So I want to thank Assistant Leader Neguse and all of my colleagues
who have joined me on the floor today for this Special Order hour on
the Honoring our PACT Act.
I am proud to have authored this important legislation that has
helped thousands of veterans.
I am grateful to Speaker Emerita Pelosi who understood that we needed
to deliver for veterans in the 117th Congress and who was a key player
in getting this legislation over the finish line.
I want to thank President Biden for his continued support of the
veteran community. I don't know of a President who has any greater love
for veterans than President Biden. It is who he is. So it is with great
sincerity and great emotion that I thank him for his decades of service
to our veterans. As I said much earlier, he decided that all eligible
veterans would be immediately able to apply for benefits instead of the
original phased-in approach. He knew how critical this would be for
countless veterans and their families.
We put partisanship aside and came together to help veterans and
their families. More than 1 million veterans and survivors have already
received benefits, and thousands more veterans have signed up for VA
healthcare.
However, as I said earlier, there are some 300,000 veterans who have
submitted an intent to file at some point last year who have 365 days
to actually submit their claim. For most of these veterans, this 365-
day window is this month or early August. In order to receive backdated
benefits back to 2022, these veterans need to submit their claims as
soon as possible.
However, we are not going to stop here. While we celebrate the Honor
the PACT Act and the more than 1 million veterans who have benefited
from it, we know there is more work to do. As ranking member of the
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am working to end veteran
homelessness and to make the VA an even more welcome place for women
and LGBTQ+ veterans and stop attempts at more privatization of VA
healthcare.
We made a solemn promise to our servicemembers that if they serve our
country, then we will take care of them. This means every veteran.
We also ensure and will ensure they get the best possible care at VA
facilities. We will honor our pact with them, and we will honor the
promise that we made to them with my legislation, but I will not stop
working to improve the lives and livelihoods of veterans around the
country.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), who
is the assistant leader, to have the last word for tonight's Special
Order hour.
Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, again, for his
leadership, his clarity of conviction, and the steadfast commitment
that he has shown to our Nation's veterans time and time again. I
certainly could not say it any better than he has, as you have heard,
Mr. Speaker, from a wide cross section of the House Democratic Caucus,
Members representing every community in our great country.
Our commitment to our Nation's veterans is rock solid. It is
evidenced by the work that Ranking Member Takano and House Democrats,
in partnership with President Biden, were able to ultimately accomplish
in the last Congress, as you can see, Mr. Speaker, 1 million claims
under the PACT Act, real families, real stories, and real impacts for
countless veterans who have made incredible sacrifices for our country.
We are indebted to them, and we will continue our commitment to them in
the weeks, the months, and the years ahead led by Ranking Member Takano
and by the leadership of the Members whom you have heard from this
evening.
I thank the ranking member for yielding.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Office of
Assistant Leader Joe Neguse and Ranking Member of the Veterans' Affairs
Committee Mark Takano for hosting this special order hour and helping
to raise awareness about the extended efforts made to secure and expand
PACT Act benefits for over 1 million veterans and survivors.
The landmark bipartisan Sergeant First Class Health Robinson Honoring
our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, otherwise known as the
PACT Act, was signed into law in 2022, enacting perhaps the largest
health care and benefit expansion in VA history.
This law provides expanded benefits to Veterans exposed to burn pits,
Agent Orange, and other toxic substances, helping generations of
Veterans--and their survivors, receive the critical care they deserve.
And as of 2024, these VA health care benefits were expanded to
millions of Veterans--years earlier than initially called for by the
2022 passage of the PACT Act.
As a senior member of this Congress and a longtime supporter of
Veterans, I know the passage of this law has been a step in the right
direction to address all harms Veterans in America sadly face and
continue to face, particularly Black and minority Veterans.
There is a long and painful history of denial of service-related
toxic exposure that dates back to nuclear testing conducted during and
in the decades following WWII that cause premature deaths, cancers and
other service-related injuries.
For decades, millions of Veterans have unknowingly been exposed to
toxic substances and radiation during their military service.
As a result of these exposures, Veterans have had to face a range of
serious health complications, including many types of cancers,
cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological disorders, and other
chronic illnesses.
Although the severity of the health issues can vary, many Veterans
have faced debilitating conditions that require ongoing medical care
and support and can cause disability, reduced quality of life, and
premature death.
Current estimates suggest that more than 5 million Veterans were
exposed to toxic substances or radiation during their service.
The type and extent of exposures vary significantly, depending on the
time and location of a Veterans' military service:
During World War II, service members involved in construction
projects and serving on ships were exposed to asbestos.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Veterans involved in nuclear testing and
handling nuclear weapons risked exposure to radioactive materials.
During the Vietnam War Veterans faced exposure to Agent Orange, a
toxic herbicide containing dioxin.
In particular, the pattern of not acknowledging service-related toxic
exposure includes Agent Orange service-related exposure that was not
acknowledged until passage of the Agent Orange Act of 1991.
Agent Orange was a herbicide used to defoliate vegetation and kill
crops over the rural landscape in Vietnam from 1961 to 1971.
The health conditions caused by this exposure were compounded by
mental distress when the government denied that the conditions were
linked to Vietnam era military service.
Before passage of the PACT Act, Veterans with toxic exposures had to
prove a direct connection between their medical conditions and a
specific toxic exposure that they faced during their military service.
Because of the difficulty connecting a condition to an exposure, the
VA denied nearly 80 percent of disability claims related to burn pit
exposures before the passage of the PACT Act.
The PACT Act sought to remedy this from ever happening again.
In particular, the law added a ``presumptive'' service connection for
hundreds of conditions linked to burn pits, agent orange, and other
hazards while serving our country, and thus lowered the burden of proof
required to receive disability benefits.
Now, the average nationwide percent service connection rate for
Veterans with these granted claims is 70 percent, meaning that
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they receive more than $20,000 in earned benefits payments from VA each
year.
Additionally, nationwide, we know that Veterans have submitted over
one million total claims since the PACT Act was enacted. And over 76
percent of all claims have been approved, a sharp increase from pre-
PACT levels--resulting in over $2.4 billion in benefits to Veterans and
the survivors.
These benefits are also particularly important to the state of Texas,
which has the largest veteran population in the U.S.
Since its enactment in 2022, Texas has led the Nation in Veterans
filing disability claims associated with the PACT Act at over 161,920.
From these PACT Act-related claims, VA has delivered more than
$600,231,041.75 in earned benefits to Texas Veterans and survivors.
Importantly, since the PACT Act was signed into law, more than 68,867
Texas Veterans have also signed up for VA health care.
These numbers make clear that the PACT Act is working, ensuring that
the courageous men and women who serve our country avoid having to
navigate unnecessary webs of red tape to receive treatment or benefits.
Just as our Veterans made a commitment to serve our Nation, we too
have a responsibility to serve them long after they take off the
uniform.
With the passage of the PACT Act and the proactive steps the
Administration has taken following its enactment to ensure that actual
benefits are realized for over one million Veterans, Congress has done
just that.
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