Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Valadao) for his incredible leadership introducing this important legislation.

This bill expands treatment coverage for those affected by Agent Orange to not only those who served on the ground, but to those servicemembers, who are known as blue water Navy vets, who were affected while serving our Nation at sea.

In my home county of Suffolk, which has the highest concentration of veterans in the State of New York, hundreds of Vietnam veterans and their families will now be able to receive the benefits they have earned. These brave servicemembers have put their lives on the line for our great Nation, and they have earned nothing less than the highest quality of care.

Additionally, this legislation includes my bill, the Flexible VA Loan Guarantee Act, which expands a veteran's opportunity for homeownership by eliminating the loan limit the VA can guarantee. This is especially critical in districts like mine, where the median home prices are higher.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Roe for bringing this bill to the floor, and I urge all of my colleagues to support our Nation's veterans by voting in favor of this commonsense legislation.

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