Ruiz Pushes for Presumptive Benefits for Burn Pit-Exposed Veterans 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) pushed for Congress to take up the Honoring our PACT Act, comprehensive toxic exposure legislation that includes Ruiz's provision to establish a presumption of service connection for 23 conditions for veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards. In today's House Veterans' Affairs Committee Roundtable, the Cost of our Promise to Toxic-Exposed Veterans, Ruiz called for Congress to act, citing stories of veterans in his own district who have suffered from cancers caused by their burn pit exposure.

"[A presumption of service connection] is the soul of the Honoring our PACT Act," said Dr. Ruiz in the roundtable. "It is the vital organ that keeps this patient alive in order to ensure that we give the care and the benefits that veterans and their widowed spouses need."

You can watch Ruiz's full remarks in today's roundtable here.

BACKGROUND

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 healthcare 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

This Congress, Ruiz introduced H.R. 2372, the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act, which is included in the Honoring our PACT Act, it would ensure that disabled veterans who have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins are given the "benefit of the doubt" by the VA when seeking medical coverage.

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.