[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 124 (Monday, July 21, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3487-H3489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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ACES ACT OF 2025
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 201) to provide for a study by the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine on the prevalence and mortality of cancer
among individuals who served as active duty aircrew in the Armed
Forces, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 201
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``ACES Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL ACADEMIES STUDY ON PREVALENCE AND MORTALITY
OF CANCER AMONG INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVED AS
ACTIVE DUTY AIRCREW IN THE ARMED FORCES.
(a) Agreement.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (in this
section referred to as the ``National Academies''), under
which the National Academies shall conduct a study on the
prevalence and mortality of cancers among covered
individuals.
(2) Deadline.--
(A) Date.--The Secretary shall finalize the agreement under
paragraph (1) by not later than 60 days after the date on
which the Secretary enters negotiations with the National
Academies with respect to such agreement.
(B) Report; briefings.--If the Secretary fails to satisfy
the requirement under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall--
(i) submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report that includes--
(I) an explanation of the reasons the Secretary failed to
satisfy such requirement; and
(II) an estimate of the date on which the Secretary will
finalize the agreement under paragraph (1); and
(ii) not less frequently than once every 60 days after the
date on which the Secretary failed to satisfy such
requirement, provide to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives a briefing on the progress of the
Secretary toward finalizing such agreement.
(b) Study.--The study required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) identify exposures associated with military occupations
of covered individuals, including relating to chemicals,
compounds, agents, and other phenomena;
(2) review the literature to determine associations between
exposures referred to in paragraph (1) and the incidence or
prevalence of overall cancer morbidity, overall cancer
mortality, and increased incidence or prevalence of--
(A) brain cancer;
(B) colon and rectal cancers;
(C) kidney cancer;
(D) lung cancer;
(E) melanoma skin cancer;
(F) non-Hodgkin lymphoma;
(G) pancreatic cancer;
(H) prostate cancer;
(I) testicular cancer;
(J) thyroid cancer;
(K) urinary bladder cancer; and
(L) other cancers as determined appropriate by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the
National Academies; and
(3) determine, to the extent possible, the prevalence of
and mortality from the cancers specified in paragraph (2)
among covered individuals by using available sources of data,
which may include--
(A) health care and other administrative databases of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense,
and the individual Services, respectively;
(B) the national death index maintained by the National
Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention; and
(C) the study conducted under section 750 of the William M.
(Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283; 134 Stat. 3716).
(c) Report.--At the conclusion of the study required under
subsection (a), the National Academies shall submit to the
Secretary, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate,
and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report containing the results of the study
described in subsection (b).
(d) Covered Individual Defined.--In this section, the term
``covered individual'' means an individual who served on
active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps as
an aircrew member of a fixed-wing aircraft, including as a
pilot, navigator, weapons systems operator, aircraft system
operator, or any other crew member who regularly flew in a
fixed-wing aircraft.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on
S. 201.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 201. The bill was
introduced by Senators Kelly and Cotton, and the House version was
introduced by my
[[Page H3488]]
friend and fellow Representative, Mr. Pfluger.
The bill would ensure that there is trusted medical research
available to pave the way for toxic-exposed military pilots and aircrew
to access their VA disability compensation benefits.
Colonel Andrew Shurtleff, who testified before the House Committee on
Veterans' Affairs in March, was one of these veterans. He served our
country as an Air Force fighter pilot for 23 years, flying over 1,800
hours.
The colonel began his career flying the F-15C Eagle and was chosen as
one of the first F-22 Raptor instructors. I am told that one of his
proudest achievements was serving as the 325th Operational Support
Squadron commander at Tyndall Air Force Base, supporting Operation
Northern Watch.
Colonel Shurtleff started fighting stage IV cancer in 2019 at just 41
years old and, unfortunately, passed away on May 23 at the age of 48.
My prayers are with his wife, Julie, and their family. We are forever
grateful for his service to this country and to his community.
Military pilots and aircrew like Colonel Shurtleff work in tight
spaces and are exposed to chemicals and toxic fumes every time they fly
a mission. However, there is not enough medical research available for
VA to simply presume that their cancers are related to those exposures.
This lack of comprehensive medical research makes it hard for these
military pilots and aircrew to access and earn these benefits.
Each one of those veterans must prove to VA that chemicals and toxins
caused their cancer. Many had to fight the VA system for years before
receiving any disability compensation, and many others never received
their earned benefits before they passed away.
S. 201 would require the National Academies to conduct a study on
whether the cancers suffered by military pilots and aircrew are related
to their chemical and toxic exposures.
VA needs robust medical research to streamline military aircrew
veterans' access to disability compensation, and VA needs it fast for
today's and tomorrow's veterans.
This bill ensures that research gets done and that our military
pilots and aircrew get the answers they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 201, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 201, the ACES Act
of 2025, offered by Senator Mark Kelly.
Mr. Speaker, I will start by thanking all of those who helped to get
this bill to this point. Among others, I am deeply appreciative of the
Military Aviator Coalition for Health and their leadership in
advocating for this issue.
I also thank my colleagues across the aisle, especially
Representative Pfluger, the lead sponsor of the House version of this
bill, for acknowledging the urgent need to address the alarming rates
of aviator cancers.
Mr. Speaker, this isn't a partisan issue. It is about doing right by
those who served.
Sadly, since we passed the House version of the bill, we have lost
more aviators to cancer.
The urgency here is undeniable. We simply cannot afford to wait any
longer. It is abundantly clear that we must investigate and pinpoint
what is driving the illnesses among this population and develop a long-
term strategy for early detection and treatment before a cancer has
reached stage III or stage IV, before it is too late.
Members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs have often spoken of
the incredible legacy of the Nation's military aviators, true experts
who dedicate their lives to serving and protecting our country. We also
heard heartbreaking stories of what happens when they come home, often
looking healthy, only to be blindsided by a late-stage cancer diagnosis
and a bleak outlook.
In fact, just a few short days ago, at a roundtable I hosted, we
heard directly from veterans, caregivers, and survivors about the
profound toll that this takes. We are talking about individuals in peak
physical condition who are running marathons, lifting weights, and
acing physical readiness tests, only to be stopped in their tracks by
cancer. This is a story that is tragically far too common in the
aviation community and the broader veteran population, as well.
We accomplished a monumental task in the 117th Congress with the
Honoring our PACT Act, but we must continue to fight for military
aviators and countless others who have been exposed to a litany of
toxins and hazards during their service.
The ACES Act is a step in the right direction. It is not the fix-all.
It is not the end of the journey. It is a start of one, just like the
Honoring our PACT Act was.
I will say that I am heartened by the consensus that we have reached
on this bill on the need to research aviator cancers. I am hopeful that
we can work in lockstep on behalf of our veterans as we continue to
advocate for every one of them. For example, this bill deals
principally with fixed-wing aviators. I am hopeful that we will
similarly rally around legislation for rotary-wing aircraft pilots.
I am genuinely hopeful that, upon completing this study, we will be
significantly closer to understanding the root causes of aviator
cancers. More importantly, we will be able to provide our Nation's
veterans with comprehensive care, the preventative and palliative care
that they earned and deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to getting this and other critical
exposure legislation through this body and signed into law. I hope my
colleagues will continue to rally around our efforts.
Mr. Speaker, that is why I support this legislation and encourage my
colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the sponsor of the House side of
this legislation.
Mr. PFLUGER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today not just as a Member of Congress but as a
wingman, a servicemember, and a friend to those in uniform and in
strong support of S. 201, the Aviator Cancers Examination Study Act, or
the ACES Act.
Far too many of our military aviators and aircrew are being diagnosed
with cancer at troubling rates. A 2021 Air Force study supported by
additional Department of Defense research found that aviators face a 29
percent higher likelihood of testicular cancer, a 24 percent higher
likelihood of melanoma, and a 23 percent higher risk of prostate cancer
compared to their civilian counterparts.
These are incredibly healthy, in-shape, well-tested individuals, yet
they have almost 30 percent higher cancer rates than the average
civilian population.
Mr. Speaker, these numbers tell a painful story. When brave men and
women volunteer to defend our Nation from the cockpit, they shouldn't
face a second battle against cancer without our full support.
This is why this legislation, led by me and my friend from California
(Mr. Panetta) in the House and by Senators Kelly and Cotton in the
Senate, is critically necessary.
The ACES Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to partner
with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to
conduct a comprehensive study on the prevalence and causes of cancer
among military aviators. We need to know the why, and we need to
provide our aircrew with air cover for their own health.
By identifying the unique risk factors associated with aviation
service, we can implement targeted screening protocols that enable
earlier detection, when treatment is most effective. This leads to
faster access to care and benefits, significantly improved survival
rates, more time with loved ones, and the opportunity for continued
service.
This bill builds upon previous research that has been done, but it
goes the distance and increases the pool to the veteran population, not
just those who are Active Duty, but also to those who have previously
served as aviators.
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I am an Air Force fighter pilot with over 20 years of service, and I
fought alongside the best that this Nation has to offer. I have also
stood beside too many of my brothers and sisters as they face their
toughest battles--not in
[[Page H3489]]
the air, but when they got home, in hospital rooms, fighting a disease
that they never saw coming.
That is the story of my friend, Colonel Andy ``Pablo'' Shurtleff. In
March, Andy did a wonderful job of testifying before the Subcommittee
on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, sharing how his sudden
cancer diagnosis brought his promising career to an abrupt end. He
spoke with clarity and conviction about how a better understanding of
cancer risk in the aviation community might have led to earlier
detection not only in his case but in many of our friends and many of
our wingmen, detection that could have saved his life and their lives.
Shortly after that, on Friday, May 23, my friend Pablo lost his
battle with cancer. In his final days, one of the few comforts he knew
was that the ACES Act was on track to becoming law. His courage, voice,
and advocacy for other servicemembers should not be forgotten.
There are countless others I have served with, including people like
Colonel Michael ``Bam Bam'' Stapleton and so many others who many of us
know. That is what this bill represents. It represents keeping Pablo in
the cockpit. It represents Pablo's kids and others in the next
generation wanting to sign up for this because they know that we are
going to give them that air cover.
This bill received bipartisan support on the House floor with a vote
of 376-5 in May. This bill has the support of over 20 veteran
organizations, cancer advocacy groups, and medical experts because they
recognize what is at stake.
With the passage of this version of the bill, it will be sent to the
President's desk, and I am hopeful that the President will sign it into
law quickly so we can fulfill our promise to those who serve, a promise
that when someone serves our Nation, we have their backs, that we will
serve them, and that we will protect them.
Today, as we cast our votes on this critical legislation, we stand
closer than ever to honoring the memory of heroes like Andy and giving
future servicemembers a real chance at early detection, better
treatment, and lifesaving research.
I sincerely thank my colleagues who cosponsored this bipartisan
legislation, as well as Chairman Bost, the chairman of the Veterans'
Affairs Committee; the ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs
Committee; Chairman Luttrell; members of the House and Senate Veterans'
Affairs Committees; Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Senator Jerry
Moran; and leadership for their unwavering support for moving this
bill. Unlike many others in Congress, this was moved with Mach, with
airspeed, and I appreciate that.
I am also deeply grateful to the dedicated volunteers of the MACH
Coalition, whose passion and persistence helped carry this effort
forward.
My heartfelt thanks go to Senator Mark Kelly, himself a combat
veteran, a pilot, and an astronaut, and Senator Cotton for championing
this bill in the Senate.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' There
really is no reason that we can't make this a unanimous ``yes'' vote in
support of the ACES Act.
Most of all, my deepest gratitude goes to the thousands of pilots and
aircrew members who are defending our Nation every single day. We see
them. We thank them. We have their backs. This is the air cover that
they so desperately deserve.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for
closing.
I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing S. 201. I thank
Representative Pfluger for this legislation. I am very honored and
pleased to be able to support it, and I ask all of my colleagues to do
the same.
Before I yield back, I do want to say that there are many more of our
veterans who have been exposed to some toxic substances, whether it is
radiation or something that is going on with our pilots.
We have learned recently of the Area 51 veterans who served at the
Nevada Test Site and who obviously show signs collectively of exposure
to radiation and bear the medical consequences of that.
We have ample evidence, for example, that our naval servicemembers
who serve on speedboats and have been exposed to intense vibrations may
have medical consequences that merit our attention. We know that
exposure to overblast may cause serious traumatic brain injury.
Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of this legislation, which I can wholly
support, I believe that we must do more. I ask the chairman if we might
schedule a hearing for the more extensive examination into the many
other types of exposures--environmental exposures, toxic exposures--
that our veterans have been and our servicemembers are being subjected
to. Let us pay attention to those, as well. I humbly request such a
hearing.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, understand that we at the committee have
hearings and will continue to have hearings on things like this many
times. We will take the ranking member's comments under advisement. We
will set the agenda and figure out what we will have hearings on and
what we won't. I appreciate the request. This is why we have these
types of hearings, and that is why we have this legislation here today.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McClintock). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 201.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________