Aces Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. PFLUGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today not just as a Congressman but as a servicemember and friend to advocate on behalf of veterans and servicemembers fighting a second battle that they never signed up to fight. This is in support of H.R. 530, my legislation called the ACES Act, the Aviator Cancers Examination Study Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman) for being willing to give his life and serving in the military as a helicopter pilot. I thank Chairman Bost, the ranking member, and the majority leader, Mr. Scalise.

Military aviators and crewmembers are tragically and unfortunately being diagnosed with various forms of cancer at alarming rates. According to a 2021 Air Force study and subsequent Department of Defense research, our aviators have a 29 percent greater probability of testicular cancer, a 24 percent higher probability of melanoma, and a 23 percent higher risk of prostate cancer compared with the normal civilian population.

Those aren't the only forms. These aren't just statistics. These are real lives, real families, and real sacrifices. When brave men and women volunteer to defend our Nation from the cockpit, they shouldn't face a second battle against cancer without our full support. This is why my legislation is so important.

The ACES Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to partner with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study on cancer prevalence among military aviators and identify the agents, chemicals, compounds, and mechanisms in military aviation environments that may be causing these elevated rates of cancer.

By identifying specific risk factors unique to aviation environments, we can develop targeted screening protocols for early detection when treatment is most effective. This means faster access to benefits and treatment for those diagnosed without the burden of proving their cancer resulted from their service. If every aviator receives specialized cancer screenings based on their specific exposure risks, countless lives would be saved.

To put this study's profound impact into perspective, picture this. A melanoma caught early, treated, and cured sends a mom back to her family. Prostate cancer found before it spreads allows a doctor ample time to set up a proper and more likely successful treatment plan. A testicular tumor found and removed in a routine screening designed for pilots, versus in an emergency room situation, gives the dad a chance to eat around the table with his family for years to come.

This is what the ACES Act makes possible. As an Air Force fighter pilot myself for 20-plus years, I fought alongside the best the Nation has to offer. I have also stood in hospital rooms watching far too many of my brothers and sisters fight their toughest battles not in the air but in hospital rooms against cancer.

Today, I am honored to be joined by a group of extraordinary heroes from our Air Force and Navy, Americans who have raised their hands in support of our Nation and volunteered to serve as pilots. These patriots, who defended our skies, are now fighting for their lives. The ACES Act is for them.

It is for the families of those fighting, who spend countless hours at the hospitals and treatment centers and surrender everything to care for their loved ones and keep hope alive.

It is for those who we have already lost, whose names we will always remember, and who I will always remember in my heart.

It is for my friend, Colonel Andy ``Pablo'' Shurtleff, an F-22 fighter pilot, a brother in arms, who at this very moment is fighting for his life against cancer. In March, Colonel Shurtleff testified before the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, sharing how a promising career was cut short after a sudden diagnosis. He explained that an earlier understanding of what causes cancer among pilots could have led to an earlier diagnosis for him, one that could have very well been instrumental in his treatment.

The ACES Act has the support of over 20 veteran organizations, cancer advocacy groups, and medical experts because they recognize what is at stake.

This isn't a partisan issue. It is about fulfilling a promise that our country made to those who were willing to serve. It is a promise that when someone serves our Nation, we will serve them in return.

Every day we wait means more aviators receiving life-altering diagnoses without understanding why, more families devastated by uncertainties, and more veterans fighting for the care they deserve. It is time to acknowledge the true cost of aviation service.

The ACES Act is not just a bill. It is a lifeline for those who have already given so much for our freedom. It is a moral obligation. It is a message to every pilot who has ever put on that flight suit to protect our skies that we see them and hear them and that we are here to also do the right thing.

Mr. Speaker, when I signed up to run for Congress, this issue was on my heart. When I signed up as a member of the Air Force, I didn't know that this was a potential issue. There are groups out there like the River Rats, led by so many amazing pilots, men and women who were ready to give their lives, who are now trying to do the right thing. Mr. Vince ``Aztec'' Alcazar is one of those people who has really led on this issue.

I know that my colleague from Michigan, the ranking member, and I know lots of people who were in a situation and are in that situation now, and the ACES Act is that lifeline.

Mr. Speaker, once we pass this on the House floor today, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the right thing and to act this week. Let's send H.R. 530 to the President's desk this week and have it signed into law. Let's do something that many Americans think isn't possible, and that is act with speed inside the U.S. Congress. Let's keep our mark up and do the right thing and send this to the Senate, get it passed, and get it to the President's desk.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Mr. Bost, and the majority leader, Mr. Steve Scalise, for acting with speed, acting aggressively, and keeping the mark up. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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