Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), issued the following statement after voting to pass the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022:
“For the first time in our nation’s history, we are providing health care benefits stemming from exposure to toxic substances during military service for all veterans ranging from Vietnam to the Global War on Terror,” said Senator Cramer. “The PACT Act provides veterans with access and resources to services and care. It is unfortunate this bill did not follow regular order and was not refined through the amendment process. Implementation and its success will ultimately fall to the Department of Veterans Affairs. I urge them to be nimble and responsive to veterans’ needs while making sure those already in the system are not neglected.”
In a SVAC hearing earlier this week, Secretary McDonough affirmed these new services and benefits will not impact veterans currently receiving care. In response to Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) asking whether the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can implement the PACT Act “without negative operational impacts on existing disability claims processing and health care delivery for veterans,” Secretary McDonough stated, “I can certify that.”
“I believe this is a very important piece of legislation. I think it will be very difficult to implement, but often times the most important things are difficult. And I think that we’re ready for it, we’ve been preparing for this… I think that we can do this and we can do this well. And in all cases do it transparently with you so that you understand precisely what we’re doing,” added Secretary McDonough.
The PACT Act would deliver all generations of veterans suffering from toxic-exposure health care and benefits under VA. The comprehensive, bipartisan legislation will expand health care for Post-9/11 combat veterans, create a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure, expand VA’s list of service presumptions, and improve resources to support VA’s claims processing.