Ruiz, Jon Stewart, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Veteran Advocates Unveil New Legislation to Address Veterans’ Exposure to Burn Pits and Other Toxins

Washington, D.C. – Today, veteran advocate Jon Stewart, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (CA-42), Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02), Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), 9/11 activist John Feal, and several Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) unveiled new legislation to get veterans who have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins the health care and benefits they've earned and deserve.

The Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021, or the Honoring our PACT Act, is comprehensive legislation that seeks to address the full gamut of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans' access to earned benefits and care. Ruiz announced the legislation at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol earlier today. You can watch the full event here.

"Servicemembers are returning home from the battlefield only to become delayed casualties of war, dying years later from lung diseases, cancers, and autoimmune diseases caused by their exposure to burn pits and other toxins," said Rep. Ruiz. "The Honoring our PACT Act takes an aggressive and comprehensive approach to this urgent health care crisis facing our veterans. I fought hard to make sure this bill includes my priority to establish a presumption of service connection between veterans' health and their toxic exposure. I will continue fighting on behalf of our heroes in uniform to get them the benefits and care they have earned and deserve."

"This has been a long time coming. Last Congress, we took major strides and finally passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act – but it took 40 years. We cannot continue to tackle this topic one disability or exposure group at a time – we need to reform and overhaul the process within VA so that the agency can provide support to veterans without the need for continued congressional intervention. I thank Dr. Ruiz for his work on this issue." – Chairman Mark Takano, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

"As a 20-year navy veteran, I watched my fellow veterans who served in Vietnam wait decades for the benefits they earned after suffering exposure to toxic chemicals," said Rep. Luria. "We can't let history repeat itself. Any veteran who served in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, East Africa and the Philippines can get access to benefits and primary care if they develop symptoms for 23 illnesses and cancers through the Honoring Our PACT Act."

Background:

During military operations in the Global War on Terror and the Gulf War, the military employed open-air burn pits in order to burn garbage, medical waste, plastics, and other waste from military installations. At least 230 pits were utilized in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many others were used across the world. The largest of these burn pits was located at Balad Air Base, Iraq, and during its operation, was comprised of 10-acres of burning trash, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.

Veterans are now sick and dying from lung diseases, cancers, and respiratory illnesses after living among this toxic cocktail of dust, smoke and debris while serving our country overseas.

Veterans who have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins overseas often face a cumbersome – and sometimes impossible – disability benefit claims process at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to get the health care they need.

The Honoring our PACT Act would streamline this process. Specifically, the bill would:

• Provide Priority Group 6 health care for certain toxic exposed veterans
• 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 MGUS 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
• 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 health care to dependents of veterans
• Require VA provide standardized training to improve toxic exposure claims adjudications
• Require VA conduct outreach and provide resources to toxic exposed veterans

Ruiz, the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Burn Pits Caucus has been a consistent advocate in addressing the military's use of toxic burn pits and helping veterans who have been exposed obtain the benefits and care they need from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Earlier this year, Ruiz joined veterans advocates Jon Stewart and John Feal, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01), veterans and their families to introduce the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act.

Ruiz's bipartisan provision, which creates a presumption of service connection for 23 conditions – including respiratory conditions and cancers for approximately 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards – was included in the Honoring our PACT Act.