Following GOP Attempt to Block Bill, President Joe Biden Signing PACT Act into Law a Tremendous Victory for Veterans and Supporters
Today, the Union Veterans Council (UVC) applauds President Joe Biden for signing the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 into law. The historic bill expands health care coverage for military veterans who were exposed to toxins and burn pits during their service — a major legislative priority of the UVC since its inception in 2009.
Military service too often results in increased health risks for veterans and can take years to manifest. Veterans suffering from rare respiratory cancers associated with toxic exposure to burn pits during their service deserve timely access to health care services and benefits. Along with many other veterans' service organizations, the UVC has been there for the fight to expand access to health care services and benefits for veterans impacted by these exposures.
This past March, President Biden gave his State of the Union (SOTU) address, where he challenged Congress to, “pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposures in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they deserve.” Since the president’s speech, UVC and veterans' groups across the nation have advocated for the bill with renewed energy.
Taking the President’s SOTU remarks as a call to action, veterans were the boots on the ground that made phone calls to Senators advocating for the PACT Act’s passage and even camping out on the Senate steps in protest of Republican lawmakers yet again abandoning our troops by blocking the passage of the bill in the U.S. Senate.
The passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 would not at all be possible without the many significant contributions from veterans’ groups, whether progressive or conservative and ally organizations. We could not just leave this up to politicians to act when they saw fit. We know how important this bill is for the heroes who served our country and their families. As veterans, fighting on the frontlines for freedoms is what we know. So we showed up for the fight and let our voices be heard. Now we can celebrate the passage of this historic bill, but there is still much more work to do.
This process, however, has not been without its share of difficulties. Veterans organizations across the nation share in outrage that some GOP Senators saw fit that the veterans who fought for our country die from rare respiratory cancers associated with toxic exposure to burn pits from their service and attempted to block this important bill’s passage. GOP lawmakers have no qualms about sending young women and men to war but abdicate their responsibility of caring for those they have sent into harm's way upon their return to the very country they fought for.
Veterans lay their lives on the line to protect American freedoms. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 being signed into law is a momentous win for veterans, their families, their caregivers, and our country.
Though we are encouraged by this critical step, there is much more work to implement health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other harmful environmental elements during service, and UVC will continue to show up for the fight. In the coming months, UVC will work to ensure all union veterans, both active and retired, understand these benefits and how to navigate the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) if eligible.
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