[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING DESCENDANTS OF TOXIC-EXPOSED VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. HILLARY J. SCHOLTEN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 23, 2026

  Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and support the 
thousands of Americans whose lives have been shaped by the cost of war: 
our Nation's toxic-exposed veterans and their children and 
grandchildren.
  In my district, the 180th Transportation Company based in Muskegon, 
Michigan, answered our Nation's call for service. They served in Korea, 
Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and most of their members 
have proudly called West Michigan home. Their families carry the weight 
of that service long after they return, including the lasting impact of 
exposure to toxic chemicals during their service. It is their stories, 
and the stories of families like them across the country, that bring me 
to the floor today. We have the unique and important opportunity this 
Congress to stand by these veterans and their families in passing 
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell's H.R. 1769, the Molly R. Loomis Research 
for Descendants of Toxic Exposed Veterans Act. I am a proud cosponsor 
of this bill, and I am calling on my colleagues to join me.
  This legislation bears the name of Molly Loomis, whose story puts a 
human face to an issue that has gone unaddressed for far too long. 
Molly is the daughter of a U.S. Navy veteran who was exposed to Agent 
Orange during his service aboard the USS Ogden. Unfortunately, her 
father passed away from cancer related to this toxic exposure. Molly 
developed a spinal cord illness known as Spina Bifida, which was also 
caused by exposure to Agent Orange. She was unable to receive aid from 
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for this condition because she 
herself was not a veteran. A previous bill, H.R. 1769, the Toxic 
Exposure Research Act, became law in 2016 and authorized research into 
birth defects associated with chemical exposures during military 
service. Yet the VA did not act on it, determining the research was not 
feasible because it would focus on descendants rather than veterans 
themselves. The sons and daughters of our veterans were deemed, in 
effect, outside the scope of this pressing issue. That must change 
today.
  Molly's story is not unique. Countless families in my own district 
share this story as well. Across the country, the children and 
grandchildren of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits, 
and other toxic chemicals are living with conditions that medicine is 
only just beginning to treat. Research has identified birth defects and 
health conditions in the offspring of exposed veterans, including spina 
bifida, heart deformities, autoimmune disorders, and many other rare 
conditions.
  These families have waited decades for answers. The hidden cost of 
war is real; it goes beyond generational divides and deserves our full 
attention. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to amplify the voices of our 
veterans and their families. I want to recognize the bravery of our 
Nation's toxic-exposed veterans and honor the strength and resilience 
of their descendants. Their lives remind us that a true commitment to 
service members and veterans must also extend to their families, who, 
in their meaningful and heartbreaking stories, have also made brave 
sacrifices for our Nation.

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