Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez
BAYONNE, N.J. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) today called on his Senate colleagues to pass major bipartisan legislation to expand health care and benefits to more than 3.5 million veterans across the country who were exposed to toxins while serving in the military. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or PACT Act, includes the Senator’s Improving Benefits for Gulf War Veterans Act, which will expand access to essential benefits for veterans who served in the Gulf War and other wars in the region. The PACT Act will address illnesses from exposure to toxic burn pits and expand presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure. The Senator’s provision’s will also extend to veterans who served in wars in the Gulf and who have experienced unexplained chronic symptoms known as the “Gulf War Illness”, which can include symptoms of fatigue, joint pain, memory loss, insomnia, and respiratory disorders. Exposure to pesticides and other toxins have been linked to these symptoms.
“For me, honoring our veterans goes beyond recognizing them for their service — it’s about living up to our commitment to serve those who so selflessly served us,” said Sen. Menendez. “And when we dedicate ourselves to securing the benefits for those who have been exposed to toxic substances — from Agent Orange to burn pits — we are living up to this responsibility.”
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The PACT Act would add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to the VA’s list of service presumptions, including hypertension. The bill would also strengthen federal research on toxic exposure and improve the VA’s resources and training for toxic-exposed veterans. It will also ensure veterans have adequate resources by investing in VA claims processing and health care facilities and boost the department’s workforce.
This legislation is named after Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson who was deployed to Kosovo and Iraq with the Ohio National Guard. He died in 2020 from toxic exposure as a result of his military service. The Senator held today’s press conference at Flournoy Gethers VFW in Bayonne. He was joined by Mayor Jimmy Davis, VFW Commander Barry Jones and several local veterans.
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Last year, Sen. Menendez introduced the Improving Benefits for Gulf War Veterans Act. Gulf War veterans often suffer from unexplained chronic symptoms known as the “Gulf War Illness”, which can include symptoms of fatigue, joint pain, memory loss, insomnia, and respiratory disorders. Exposure to pesticides and other toxins have been linked to these symptoms.
Improving Benefits for Gulf War Veterans Act as Section 405 of the PACT Act would:
Permanently extend the period of eligibility for benefits
- Currently, veterans must experience and report Gulf War illness symptoms by December 31, 2021 in order to receive disability compensation benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This sunset date, which has been extended by the VA five times, will be eliminated which will ensure veterans whose symptoms do not manifest until later in life receive the benefits they earned.
Expand veteran eligibility for VA benefits
- Studies show that veterans who served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield have experienced similar symptoms as those who served in the Gulf War but they are not eligibility for disability benefits. The bill would also make veterans who served in Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria and Jordan eligible for benefits.
- Current law requires a veteran to have a disability associated with Gulf War illness and a rating of at least 10 percent to be eligible for disability compensation. The bill would lower the eligibility threshold to zero percent, allowing more veterans to receive disability compensation and other benefits.
Improve training for VA staff
- VA medical staff is currently not required to complete training before conducting Gulf War illness examinations, leading to a substantial number of veterans falling through the cracks and being denied VA benefits. The bill would require the VA to ensure department personnel are appropriately trained in dealing with Gulf War illness claims and to report to Congress annually on actions taken.
Create a single, uniform disability based questionnaire (DBQ)
- The VA currently assigns separate DBQs for each Gulf War illness symptom a veteran reports. The VA then orders examinations for each symptom without considering that one illness is connected to multiple symptoms, often leading to veterans’ claims being denied. The legislation would require the VA to develop a single DBQ for the Gulf War illness, which would facilitate more timely and accurate consideration of disability compensation for veterans suffering from the illness.