Sens. Sullivan, Moran Call on VA Secretary to Conduct Inter-Agency Collaboration to Provide Care for K2 Veterans

Press Release

U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), ranking member of SVAC, today sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough urging him to work with Congress, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to find solutions for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their service. The letter is also signed by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), members of the committee.

During the 116th Congress, Sen. Sullivan's legislation, the K2 Veterans Advocacy Act, was signed into law as part of a larger veterans package to collect more research regarding the long-term health of service members who were stationed at Camp Stronghold Freedom at Karshi-Khanabad Airbase (K2) in Uzbekistan. This research will help better determine how to provide proper care for these veterans who are suffering from cancer and other health consequences related to toxic exposure.

"Each agency's role in this research is crucial; plans to initiate studies and coordination across federal agencies need to start immediately," the senators wrote. "Because these efforts all seek to address different aspects of the same problem, the VA, DOD, and CDC must work together to make certain that their work is complementary to one another and adds value to the overall effort. As the foremost senior government official tasked with caring for veterans, we will rely on you to be responsible for this coordination."

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