Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the thousands of Vietnam war veterans who served our country but are unable to receive the VA benefits they earned and were promised. When Mr. Bill Rhodes from Mena, Arkansas, first reached out to my office several years ago, his case seemed simple. He just needed our assistance in filing a benefits claim with the VA. But we soon learned he wasn't eligible because the VA didn't extend the presumption of Agent Orange exposure to veterans who served in Thailand during the Vietnam war. Mr. Rhodes isn't a unique case. There are thousands of other veterans across the country who put their lives on the line during the Vietnam war. They made it home safely, only to learn years later that exposure to Agent Orange was making them sick. Military personnel involved with the storage and transportation of Agent Orange suffered the worst rates of exposure. The average concentration of the toxic chemical was 13 times the recommended rate for domestic use. Despite constant reassurance that it was safe and harmless to handle during the war, veterans began reporting symptoms of lymphoma, leukemia, respiratory cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, digestive disorders, and other diseases. Thanks to the passage of the Blue Water Navy Act last year, we are finally seeing progress as of January 1. Veterans who served off the coast of Vietnam are finally able to receive benefits for their exposure.…”