Contact your Senator NOW and ask them to Co-sponsor S.901 the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015

[boardman]

Twelve Senators have signed on in support of S.901, but we are missing your member!
Contact your Senator NOW and ask them to Co-sponsor S.901 the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015
Take Action (http://capwiz.com/vva/issues/alert/?ale ... 0943734341)! <----click to send message to your legislator)

Vietnam Veterans of America Legislative Alert

July 17, 2015

Senator Jerry Moran, (KS) has introduced S.901 the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015 co-sponsored by Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT).

Among the so-called invisible wounds of war are those brought home by troops that may not manifest for a decade or more? And most tragically, they may pass on genetically to the progeny of our nation’s warriors.

If enacted into law, this bipartisan legislation would establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs a national center for the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of the descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances during service in the Armed Forces.

Toxins, such as Agent Orange, have been shown to cause birth defects in the children of military personnel who came into contact with them, either during the Vietnam War, in the storage and transportation of those toxins, or by riding in aircraft that had been previously used to transport the toxins. For Gulf War veterans, the exposure was to chemical weapons that were in an Iraqi ammo dump that was blown up by U.S. Forces at the end of the Gulf War, to oil fires, and possibly to tainted vaccines.

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Founding Principle Is "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another." And we strongly support S.901.

VVA urges you to Take Action NOW enter your zip code and send the prepared letter to your U.S. Senators asking them to join their colleagues Mike Crapo (ID), Richard Durbin (IL), Pat Roberts (KS), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Steve Daines (MT), Jon Tester (MT), Kristen Gillibrand (NY), Charles Schumer (NY), Sherrod Brown (OH), Jeff Merkley (OR), Ron Wyden (OR) and Joe Manchin (WV) to co-sponsor S.901 the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015.

[boardman]

We need your support to secure passage of the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015

VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA

ACT NOW WHILE CONGRESS IS HOME FOR THE AUGUST RECESS

August 7, 2015

Congress has left Washington for its annual August recess and will not return until September 8 . VVA wants to make sure your Member of Congress understands why the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015 is important to our organization and critical to restoring the lives of our veterans and their offspring.

This bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1769 was introduced in the House by Congressman Dan Benishek (MI-1) and is cosponsored by Congressman Mike Honda (CA-17th). Senators Jerry Moran (KS) and Richard Blumenthal (CT) introduced the companion bill S.901 in the U.S. Senate.

Securing the passage of the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015 into law is one of the most important efforts that you, your family, and your friends can do collectively to assure that future military service generations learn from our experience and that our offspring receive the respect and consideration for the sacrifices and pain that they endure from illnesses due to our service in Vietnam.

Our time is to act NOW

VVA urges you to take action now! Go to our Legislative Action site at http://capwiz.com/vva/home/, enter your Zip Code, and send the prepared letters to your Representatives and Senators, asking them to join their colleagues and cosponsor H.R. 1769 and S.901, the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015.

Please follow-up on your letter with a call or visit to their district office.

If you need information for district offices, please contact Sharon Hodge, Associate Director Government Affairs, at shodge@vva.org or 1-800-882 1316 ext. 111

Thank you for your support.

Cosponsors in the House supporting H.R. 1769:

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1) - 6/9/2015
Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ-3) - 6/1/2015
Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-7) 7/13/2015
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9) 6/3/2015
Rep. Paul Cook (CA-8) - 4/30/2015
Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13) - 6/2/2015
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) - 6/3/2015
Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26) - 7/7/2015
Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-28) - 6/1/2015
Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33) - 6/1/2015
Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52) – 7/23/2015
Rep. Jared Polis (CO-2) - 6/2/2015
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-7) - 6/3/2015
Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2) - 6/9/2015
Rep. Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) - 4/14/2015
Rep. John Carney, Jr. (DE) – 7/7/2015
Rep. Bill Posey (FL-8) - 7/7/2015
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) - 4/21/2015
Rep. David Jolly (FL-13) - 4/29/2015
Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-15) - 4/29/2015
Rep. Theodore Deutch (FL-21) - 6/2/2015
Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-22) - 5/12/2015
Rep. Sanford Bishop, Jr. (GA-2) - 4/30/2015
Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (GU-AL) - 5/20/2015
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2) - 6/17/2015
Rep. Bobby Rush (IL-1) 6/16/2015
Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-5) – 4/21/2015
Rep. Tammy Duckworth (IL-8) - 4/22/2015
Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17) - 4/28/2015
Rep. Kevin Yoder (KS-3) - 4/21/2015
Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-1) - 4/21/2015
Rep. Richard Neal (MA-1) – 7/7/2015
Rep. James McGovern (MA-2) - 4/22/2015
Rep. John Sarbanes (MD-3) - 6/1/2015
Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-7) – 7/23/2015
Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-12) – 7/21/2015
Rep. John Conyers , Jr. (MI-13) - 4/21/2015
Rep. Tim Walz (MN-1) -7/10/2015
Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-5) - 5/20/2015
Rep. Collin Peterson (MN-7) – 7/10/2015
Rep. David Rouzer (NC-7) – 7/7/2015
Rep. Ann Kuster (NH-2) - 4/28/2015
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2) 6/23/2015
Rep. Christopher Smith (NJ-4) 7/7/2015
Rep. Lee Zeldin (NY-1) - 4/21/2015
Rep. Peter King (NY-2) - 5/19/2015
Rep. Steve Israel (NY-3) - 4/28/2015
Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY-4) - 6/16/2015
Rep. Charles Rangel (NY-13) - 5/13/2015
Rep. Joseph Crowley (NY-14) 5/12/2015
Rep. Nita Lowey (NY-17) - 5/22/2015
Rep. Sean Maloney (NY-18) – 7/10/2015
Rep. John Katko (NY-24) - 5/19/2015
Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-26) 6/23/2015
Rep. Chris Collins (NY-27) - 6/2/2015
Rep. Robert E. Latta (OH-5) - 4/22/2015
Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-6) - 4/28/2015
Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-3) - 6/16/2015
Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA-5) 6/17/2015
Rep. Ryan Costello (PA-6) - 4/29/2015
Rep. Keith Rothfus (PA-12) - 5/12/2015
Rep. Mike Doyle (PA-14) – 6/24/2015
Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-17) 6/25/2015
Rep. Pedro Pierluisi (PR) 6/23/2015
Rep. David Cicilline (RI-1) - 5/12/2015
Rep. James Langevin (RI-2) - 6/9/2015
Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-9) - 6/16/2015
Rep. Beto O'Rourke (TX-16) - 5/13/2015
Rep. Gerald Connolly (VA-11) - 4/29/2015
Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-2) - 6/23/2015
Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-6) – 7/10/2015
Rep. Ron Kind (WI-3) 7/10/2015
Rep. David McKinley (WV-3) 7/10/2015

Cosponsors in the Senate supporting S.901

Senator Mike Crapo (ID) - 6/23/2015
Senator Richard Durbin (IL) - 5/14/2015
Senator Pat Roberts (KS) - 6-22/2015
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH) – 8/5/2015
Senator Robert Casey (PA) – 8/5/2015
Senator Gary Peters (MI) – 8/5/2015
Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI) – 7/7/2015
Senator Roy Blount (MO) – 7/30/2015
Senator Jon Tester (MT) - 4/15/2015
Senator Steven Daines (MT) - 4/27/2015
Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (NY) - 4/20/2015
Senator Charles Schumer (NY) - 6/9/2015
Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) 6/10/2015
Senator Jeff Merkley (OR) - 6/10/2015
Senator Ron Wyden (OR) - 6/17/2015
Senator Joe Machin (WV) 6/10/2015

[boardman]

Please contact your Senator NOW and ask them to Co-sponsor S.901 the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015

Take Action!

Vietnam Veterans of America - Legislative Alert

CONTACT YOUR SENATOR NOW

January 14, 2016

Senator Jerry Moran, (KS) has introduced S.901 the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015 co-sponsored by Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT).

Among the so-called invisible wounds of war are those brought home by troops that may not manifest for a decade or more? And most tragically, they may pass on genetically to the progeny of our nation’s warriors.

If enacted into law, this bipartisan legislation would establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs a national center for the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of the descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances during service in the Armed Forces.

Toxins, such as Agent Orange, have been shown to cause birth defects in the children of military personnel who came into contact with them, either during the Vietnam War, in the storage and transportation of those toxins, or by riding in aircraft that had been previously used to transport the toxins. For Gulf War veterans, the exposure was to chemical weapons that were in an Iraqi ammo dump that was blown up by U.S. Forces at the end of the Gulf War, to oil fires, and possibly to tainted vaccines.

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Founding Principle Is "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another." And we strongly support S.901.

VVA urges you to Take Action NOW enter your zip code, send the prepared letter to your U.S. Senators asking them to join their colleagues; John Boozman (AR), Barbara Boxer (CA), Christopher Murphy (CT), Chris Coons (DE), Thomas Carper (DE), Charles Grassley (IA), Mike Crapo (ID), Richard Durbin (IL), Pat Roberts (KS), Gary Peters (MI), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Roy Blunt (MO), Claire McCaskill (MO), Steve Daines (MT), Jon Tester (MT), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Kristen Gillibrand (NY), Charles Schumer (NY), Sherrod Brown (OH), Jeff Merkley (OR), Ron Wyden (OR), Robert Casey (PA), Tim Kaine (VA), Mark Warner (VA), Bernard Sanders (IND-VT) and Joe Manchin (WV) to cosponsor S.901 the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015

Please, follow-up on your letter with a call or visit to their state office.

[boardman]

Full House Committee on Veterans Affairs marks up H.R. 1769, the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015

Vietnam Veterans of America - Legislative Update

February 23, 2016

H.R. 1769, the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015, will be marked up on February 25, 2016 by the full House Committee on Veterans Affairs in room 334 Cannon House Office building at 10:30 am.

Also schedule for mark up are:


HR 4129 — Jumpstart VA Construction Act

HR 3484 — Los Angeles Homeless Veterans Leasing Act

HR 4336 — Women Airforce Service Pilot Arlington Inurnment Restoration Act

HR 4063 — Promoting Responsible Opioid Management and Incorporating
Scientific Expertise (Jason Simcakoski PROMISE) Act


VVA presents annual Congressional testimony before House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs

On March 3, 2016, Vietnam Veterans of America, National President John Rowan will present VVA 2016 legislative priorities and policy agenda before the House and Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. The hearing will begin at 10:00 am in room 345 Cannon House Office Building. Also testifying will be PVA, GSW, MOPH, BVA, WWP, NGAUS, and AMVETS.

Follow the link on March 3 to watch the hearing live http://veterans.house.gov/

[boardman]

H.R. 1769 and S.901, the Toxic Exposure Research Act bills are placed on the House and Senate Calendar for floor votes

Vietnam Veterans of America

June 1, 2016

Legislative Update: H.R. 1769 and S.901 the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015

H.R. 1769, the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015, introduced by Congressmen Benishek (MI-1) and Honda (CA-17) with 201 cosponsors was reported out of the House Veterans Affairs Committee on May 24 and placed on the House Union Calendar No. 460 for a floor vote. H.R. 1769 bill legislative language has also been added to Title III Matters Relating to Toxic Exposure in H.R. 5286 the VA Construction and Lease Authorization, Health, and Benefits Enhancement Act introduced by Chairman Miller House Veterans Affairs Chairman on May 19, 2016.

S.901, the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015 introduced in the Senate by Senators Jerry Moran (KS) and Richard Blumenthal (CT), with 48 cosponsors, bill legislative language has been included in Title II Subtitle I Research and Toxic Exposure in S.2921, the Veterans First Act introduced by Senators Johnny Isakson (GA), Chairman and Richard Blumenthal (CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. On May 12, 2016, the Veterans First Act was vote out of the committee and placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders Calendar No. 467 for floor vote. S.2921 Veterans First Act (Reported in Senate - RS) [S.2921.RS][PDF] S.2921 has 42 Senate cosponsors.

The House and Senate now stand in recess until June 3, 2016