HONORING OUR PACT ACT PASSES THE HOUSE

[boardman]

Vietnam Veterans of America, March 3, 2022

HOUSE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

MARCH 03, 2022

CHAIRMAN TAKANO’S COMPREHENSIVE HONORING OUR PACT ACT PASSES THE HOUSE

House Makes Good on its Promise to Care for Toxic-Exposed Veterans

Press Contact

Jenni Geurink (202-819-4684)

WASHINGTON, D.C– Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) made the following statement after his comprehensive bill, H.R. 3967, as amended, the Honoring Our Promise To Address Comprehensive Toxics Act Of 2021 Or Honoring Our PACT Act, passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 256-174. This legislation will finally treat toxic exposure as a cost of war by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans including access to earned benefits and healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It has the strong support of 42 Veterans Service Organizations, the Biden-Harris Administration, and advocates Jon Stewart And John Feal.

“For too long, Congress and VA have been slow to act on toxic exposure—but today, the House took a bipartisan vote to change that and finally make good on our promise to toxic-exposed veterans by passing my Honoring our PACT Act,” said Chairman Takano. “After years of diligent input from toxic-exposed veterans, my colleagues, our staff, VA, and VSOs, we passed the most comprehensive legislation to date to treat toxic exposure as a cost of war and ensure that all toxic-exposed veterans can access the care and benefits they’ve earned. This fight is not over, but I will not rest until our veterans have a guarantee in statute that their government will take care of them when they come home—no matter the cost. I’m so grateful for the strong support from Speaker Pelosi, President Biden, and our dedicated VSOs and advocates, and I look forward to working with Senator Tester to pass truly comprehensive legislation through the Senate and send it to the President’s desk. Toxic-exposed veterans do not have time to wait.”

The Honoring our PACT Act will:

Provide Priority Group 6 health care for over 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans
Provide extension of combat eligibility for health care from 5 to 10 years with a one-year open enrollment period for those veterans who missed their window.
Streamline VA’s review process for establishing toxic exposure presumptions
Concede exposure to airborne hazards/burn pits based on locations & dates of service
Require medical exams/opinions for certain veterans with toxic exposure disability claims
Add hypertension and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance to the list of presumptions for Agent Orange exposure
Establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to burn pits/airborne hazards exposure
Create a presumption of exposure to radiation for veterans who participated in cleanup activities in Palomares, Spain, and Enewetak Atoll
Allow for a new tort claim for veterans and families exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune
Expand agent orange exposure to veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia
Improve data collection between VA and the Department of Defense
Commission studies related to incidents of cancer among veterans, health trends of Post 9/11 veterans and feasibility of providing healthcare to dependents of veterans
Require VA to provide standardized training to improve toxic exposure disability claims adjudications
Require VA to conduct outreach and provide resources to toxic exposed veterans


Source: Chairman Takano’s Comprehensive Honoring our PACT Act Passes the House | The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

[boardman]

Vietnam Veterans of America, July 28, 2022
The Honoring Our PACT Act was rejected by the Senate by a 55-42 vote.
S. 3373, The Honoring Our PACT Act, unexpectedly failed to pass on the Senate floor by a 55-42 vote yesterday ( U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 2nd Session) 60 votes were needed, to avoid another delay in the bill becoming law. The bipartisan bill was voted unanimously out of the Senate with an 88-14 vote in early June, and by a 342-88 vote in the House. However, this was not the case as Senators who had previously voted against and for the bill objected to how the money connected to the measure (about $300 billion over 10 years) would be accounted for in the regular appropriations process.
VVA will continue working with members of Congress, VSO and MOS to ensure that the Honoring Our PACT Act becomes law in the 117th Congress and we thank Chairman Takano, Chairman Tester and members of both parties who supported passage of this bi-partisian legislation.
Roll call Vote 272 - See how your members voted
YEAs ---55
Baldwin (D-WI)
Bennet (D-CO)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Boozman (R-AR)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Capito (R-WV)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Collins (R-ME)
Coons (D-DE)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Hirono (D-HI)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Kaine (D-VA)
Kelly (D-AZ)
King (I-ME)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Lujan (D-NM)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Moran (R-KS)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Ossoff (D-GA)
Padilla (D-CA)
Peters (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)
Rosen (D-NV)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Sinema (D-AZ)
Smith (D-MN)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warner (D-VA)
Warnock (D-GA)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---42
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Blunt (R-MO)
Braun (R-IN)
Burr (R-NC)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Paul (R-KY)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Sasse (R-NE)
Schumer (D-NY)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)

Not Voting - 3
Leahy (D-VT)
Manchin (D-WV)
Murkowski (R-AK)