BOISE, Idaho — A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits will soon receive President Biden's signature and become law. The U.S. Senate gave the Honoring Our PACT Act final congressional approval Tuesday. 86 senators voted for the bill; 11, including both of Idaho's senators, voted no.
Spokespersons for Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch on Wednesday both issued statements saying they support veterans, but couldn't support the legislation as written because of what Risch called a "$400 billion hole in the discretionary budget" that, according to the statement, allows Democrats to use to add spending "totally unrelated to veterans."
Risch's spokesperson said Sen. Risch "wanted to get to 'yes' on this bill," but couldn't.
"It is inappropriate to use a bill for veterans as a backdoor to usher in huge sums of unrelated spending," Risch's spokesperson added.
Sen. Crapo said that during the current session of Congress, he has led or co-sponsored four bills included in the package to address burn pit injuries and illness.
"These important bills had broad bipartisan support and probably could have passed the Senate without opposition, but instead Democrats created a nearly $400 billion slush fund for additional unrestrained spending," Crapo's statement read, in part. "I have a strong record of supporting veterans to ensure they have access to high-quality health care, opportunities to thrive following their transition from the military and protecting their Second Amendment rights. I, too, remain committed to Idaho veterans impacted by burn pits and toxic exposure and will continue to support bipartisan legislation that can withstand necessary fiscal standards to ensure solvency and endurance, not additional slush fund spending placed on the American people."
The legislation expands access to health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for millions who served near burn pits. It also directs the VA to presume that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were related to burn pit exposure, allowing veterans to obtain disability payments to compensate for their injury without having to prove the illness was a result of their service.
Roughly 70% of disability claims related to burn pit exposure are denied by the VA due to lack of evidence, scientific data and information from the Defense Department.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, the military used burn pits to dispose of such things as chemicals, cans, tires, plastics and medical and human waste.
Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War era veterans and survivors also stand to benefit from the legislation. The bill adds hypertension, or high blood pressure, as a presumptive disease associated with Agent Orange exposure.
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