[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5090]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    AGENT ORANGE EQUITY ACT: GIVE COMBAT VETERANS WHAT THEY DESERVE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 4, 2011

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, in passing the Agent Orange related laws in 
1984 and 1991, Congress made clear that it wanted to ensure that a fair 
and independent system was established to determine the relationship 
between herbicide exposure and the manifestation of certain diseases in 
our veterans.
  Congress also was concerned that exposure to Agent Orange could not 
be determined by tracking troop movements.
  As such, my bill, H.R. 812, the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2011, 
would expand the eligibility for presumptive conditions to combat 
veterans of the Vietnam War to include Blue Water veterans, those who 
received the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal, or 
served on Johnston Island during a specified period when undisputed 
evidence shows 250,000 gallons of Agent Orange leaked and contaminated 
the scarce water supply.
  Before 2002, VA relied on veterans providing evidence of receipt of 
the Vietnam Service Medal to allow veterans to be presumptively 
service-connected for diseases identified as being related to Agent 
Orange exposure.
  Against public outcry, VA unjustifiably reversed its own regulations.
  H.R. 812 would reinstate this practice by requiring VA to go back to 
this fair way of determining service-connection and equitably 
adjudicating these claims.
  These are benefits that these veterans have earned, yet the VA 
illogically refuses to acknowledge.
  Time is running out for these Vietnam veterans and their families. I 
remain committed to restoring equity for our veterans as do so many of 
our colleagues. That is why in the 111th Congress, this exact same bill 
enjoyed the support of over 260 co-sponsors. I also point out that 
Vietnam Veterans of America also supports this bill.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support equity for our combat 
veterans of Vietnam exposed to this toxic and deadly cocktail of 
herbicides.

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