Toxic Military Burn Pits

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank my neighbor and very good friend, Dr. Raul Ruiz, for holding and hosting this Special Order hour on toxic exposures.

Madam Speaker, tonight I rise to talk about the urgent need to finally recognize toxic exposure as a cost of war and pass the Honoring Our PACT Act.

Every day I hear from more and more veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances while serving our Nation. Whether it is exposure to burn pits, contaminated water, radiation, or other toxins, the health effects are often severe from chronic multisymptom illnesses, to cancers, birth defects, infertility, and respiratory conditions.

This problem isn't new, and neither is the need for congressional intervention. As chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I was proud to lead the effort last Congress to pass the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act and get long-overdue justice for our Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. But that took more than 40 years. We cannot let our post-9/11 veterans suffer the same fate. And, yes, we are in danger of having burn pits become this generation of veterans' Agent Orange.

We cannot allow this generation of veterans to go the 40 years that our Vietnam veterans had to wait for their justice.

When we send our servicemembers into harm's way, we do so with a promise to care for them and pay for that care. We haven't been keeping up our end of the deal. Hundreds of thousands of veterans have signed up for VA's burn pit registry. However, with 70 percent of burn pit claims denied, it is clear that VA's current claims process isn't working. No veteran should be forced to prove that their government exposed them to toxic substances. The Honoring our PACT Act fixes that and finally makes good on our promise.

With our bipartisan legislation, we can deliver VA benefits and care to up to 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn pits and airborne hazards. We can establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers, the most comprehensive list out there. Additionally, we can streamline VA's review process for toxic exposure presumptions, so Congress doesn't have to keep intervening.

With the exit from Afghanistan still fresh in our minds, we cannot forget that the true cost of war is so much more than the tanks, planes, and weapons used on the battlefield. Veterans living with toxic exposure are still in the heat of battle, and they are paying for the cost of war that our Nation should be paying. That is why we need to pass the Honoring our PACT Act into law. With 60 cosponsors, bipartisan support, endorsements from nine veteran services organizations, and a VA Secretary and President who are committed to addressing this issue, we have the momentum to get this done.

With every day that passes, more veterans get sick and, sadly, die waiting for the care and benefits they have earned. We must act now. I want to thank Dr. Ruiz and the Congressional Burn Pits Caucus for partnering with my committee to share the stories of toxic-exposed veterans today and showcase how transformative passing the Honoring our PACT Act will be.

With Veterans Day right around the corner, we can honor our veterans' service with action. I urge all Members to consider sponsoring our legislation.

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