American veterans to receive new life-saving health care for serious illnesses caused by exposure to toxic burn pits

WASHINGTON – Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today voted to provide American veterans with new life-saving health care for serious illnesses caused by exposure to toxic burn pits—used by the military to dispose of hazardous substances—as part of the Honoring our PACT Act (H.R. 3967).

With widespread support among the nation’s leading veteran service groups, the legislation comes as thousands of U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been denied access to care for rare and aggressive cancers, serious respiratory conditions and other diseases from exposure to open-air pits used to burn jet fuel, garbage, medical waste, plastic and other toxic substances.

“Our brave veterans—who have sacrificed so much and put their lives on the line for our security—have earned and deserve the best health care a grateful Nation can provide,” said Rep. Smith, who has twice served as chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

“We cannot abandon our American heroes in their time of need,” said Smith.

“This legislation will help ensure that those who were put in harm’s way to defend our freedoms receive the life-saving care they need to thrive in the great country they fought to protect,” Smith said.

Among its provisions, H.R. 3967 would:

• Expand Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits for veterans suffering from exposures to burn pits and toxic substances during their military service;
• Increase the VA’s capacity to process claims for newly eligible veterans; and
• Direct the Department of Defense (DOD) and the VA to establish guidelines for training active-duty personnel to provide awareness of potential risks of toxic exposure and ways to prevent it during combat.

In Congress, Smith has been a trailblazer in ensuring veterans can get access to care for rare illnesses contracted as a result of their military service.

One of Smith’s more than a dozen laws to support our Nation’s veterans—the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001—included, for the first time, compensation for servicemembers affected by Persian Gulf Illness—the chronic and multisymptomatic disorder that affected hundreds of thousands of Gulf War veterans.

And as his first legislative act when he came to Congress, Smith cosponsored an amendment to provide compensation for U.S. veterans suffering from illnesses after being exposed to the highly toxic chemical Agent Orange in Vietnam.

Despite records showing at least 11 million gallons of Agent Orange had been sprayed over 5 million acres of Vietnam jungle between 1962 and 1971, the VA had insisted for years that there was no link between exposure to the toxic substance and the diseases later contracted by veterans.

While Smith’s amendment was not adopted, Congress ultimately came to recognize the health dangers of Agent Orange, paving the way for veterans to receive much-needed care.