Legislation provides toxin-exposed veterans with the medical care they earned
Washington, DC – Today, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) voted to pass the Honoring Our PACT Act. This critical bill will create a presumption of service connection for as many as 3.5 million veterans who are suffering from illnesses and cancers related to toxic exposure.
"Burn pits have rightly been called this generation's Agent Orange. Too many of our veterans, including as many as 6,000 in NJ-11 alone, suffer from serious health problems caused by toxic exposure during their military service, and too many of them have been denied the care they've earned," said Rep. Sherrill. "That's why I was proud to vote for the Honoring Our Pact Act, long-overdue legislation that ensures our veterans receive help, without waiting decades, by streamlining the VA's process for establishing toxic exposure presumptions."
The Honoring Our PACT Act will:
Provide healthcare up to 3.5 million veterans exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits
Streamline Veteran Affairs' (VA) review process for coverage decisions
Finally concede that there was significant service member exposure to airborne hazards and burn pits
Require medical exams and opinions for veterans with toxic exposure disability claims
Establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to burn pits and airborne hazards exposure
Create a presumption of exposure to radiation
Expand Agent Orange exposure & add hypertension and MGUS to the list of presumptions
Require the VA to provide standardized training & conduct outreach on toxic exposure treatment and preventative measures
Improve data collection between VA & Department of Defense and commission studies
Rep. Sherrill is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Navy for almost 10 years as a helicopter pilot and Russian policy officer. As a Russian policy officer, she worked on the implementation of our nuclear treaty obligations and oversaw the relationship between the U.S. Navy and Russian Federation Navy. She now serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she serves as the Vice Chair of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee.
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