Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet applauded U.S. Senate passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, bipartisan legislation to expand Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care eligibility to over 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans. This comes after Senate Republicans blocked final passage of the bill last week.
“After years of inaction from Washington, the PACT Act represents the largest expansion of veteran health care benefits in decades. This bill will ensure that millions of veterans who suffer from conditions related to toxic exposure receive the care they have earned and deserve. Our veterans have waited long enough. I urge the president to sign the PACT Act into law without delay.”
Along with expanding VA eligibility to 23 toxic exposure and burn pit related conditions, the PACT Act would create a framework to establish future presumptions related to toxic exposure. This legislation would also expand presumptions for Agent Orange exposure in places like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam and American Samoa, strengthen federal research on toxic exposure, improve the VA’s ability to treat toxic exposed veterans, and help the VA boost capacity.
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