Rep. Cisneros Votes in Support of The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019

Press Release

Today, Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39), son of a Vietnam Veteran who was initially denied disability compensation for his exposure to Agent Orange, voted in support of H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.

"I am proud of the House's united support for our Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans. I know firsthand the hardships a family faces when a veteran is not provided the care they need and deserve," said Rep. Cisneros. "For more than forty years, tens of thousands of veterans and their families have had to live with the injustice of being wrongfully denied their benefits for being exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

"When our veterans went to Vietnam to serve their country, they went with the understanding that their country would protect and care for them should anything happen. It is our duty as Representatives to ensure our veterans receive the compensation and care they deserve for their injuries caused by Agent Orange exposure. Our nation owes our veterans a debt and they have waited long enough."

H.R. 299 was introduced by Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) on January 1st and will extend benefits to service members that served in the territorial waters off the coast of Vietnam and were exposed to Agent Orange. Thousands of Vietnam Veterans who are currently ineligible for disability benefits caused by Agent Orange under the Agent Orange Act of 1991 will receive their rightful benefits through H.R. 299.

Rep. Cisneros is a Navy Veteran and serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and House Committee on Armed Services. The bill will now be referred to the Senate.

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