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Washington, D.C. -- During the House Veterans Affairs Committee on September 23 hearing entitled “Toxic Exposures: Examining Airborne Hazards in the Southwest Asia Theater of Military Operations,” Congressman Ruiz questioned witnesses from the Department of Veterans Affairs about servicemembers' toxic exposure to burn pits.
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Salton Sea got its first congressional hearing since 1997. This comes after Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D.
Washington, D.C. – Today, veterans advocate Jon Stewart, U.S. Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), former U.S.
The September 30th deadline to fill out the 2020 Census is just around the corner. Right now, our district is falling behind. Only 57.8% of CA-36 has responded to the Census--that’s 10% less than the statewide self-response rate for California!
Palm Desert, CA – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. released a new report prepared by the staff of the Committee on Oversight and Reform and Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties detailing the dire costs of an undercount for California’s 36th Congressional District.
Standing Up for USPS
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) led 60 Members of Congress in calling on the Trump Administration to create a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan now that prioritizes health equity. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Rep.
Thermal, CA – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) – a physician and Southern California Congressman – donned PPE and administered COVID-19 tests to farmworkers in the eastern Coachella Valley. Farmworkers are essential workers who are at an increased risk of COVID-19 infection due to working and living conditions.
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The first congressional hearing was held on the Salton Sea since 1997, it was done virtually because of the pandemic.
Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D., (D) 36th Dist, has been pressing for this meeting to bring federal support to the ailing, accidental sea for years.
In a congressional hearing Thursday that starkly illuminated partisan divides, California Democrats called on the federal government to provide greater assistance in remedying environmental and public health crises at the Salton Sea. All but one GOP members were absent, and the one who did attend criticized the organizers for holding the hearing.
The United States is approaching nearly 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Global War on Terror and 30 years since the Gulf War. But the Department of Veterans Affairs is still denying close to 80% of all burn pit related claims veterans file.
A congressional hearing today about burn pits went up in flames for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A large portion of the VA’s argument was clearly aimed at stonewalling efforts to pass new health care. Additionally, they claimed there was not enough science to link specific health issues to toxic exposure.
I am cautiously optimistic at the current pace of COVID-19 vaccine development and encouraged that a number of drug companies are seeing promising results. Current projections show that we may begin vaccinating the public by the end of this year or early 2021, but it will take hundreds of millions of vaccine doses to effectively curb this virus.
Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart returned to Washington D.C., Tuesday to lobby Congress on behalf of veterans and the families impacted by burn pits.
Veterans advocates on Tuesday launched a new campaign for additional recognition and aid for troops exposed to toxic burn pit fumes during overseas deployments at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, saying time is running out to provide real help to the victims.
Lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday that would streamline the process for veterans to receive disability benefits for diseases that may be related to exposure to burn pits and other battlefield pollutants.
Under a newly introduced bill in Congress, veterans ill from toxic exposures could have a new avenue for benefits.