Jose Luis Correa: “I thank Mr. Takano for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Walz, Mr. Valadao, and, of course, Chairman Roe for…”

“I thank Mr. Takano for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Walz, Mr. Valadao, and, of course, Chairman Roe for their leadership on H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act. This is a great example of how Democrats and Republicans come together to do what is right for our country, as well as our veterans. Since the Vietnam war, veterans have reported numerous health complications, including different forms of cancer related to the exposure to Agent Orange. While the Department of Veterans Affairs currently presumes that veterans who served on the ground in Vietnam or in the Vietnamese river system were exposed to Agent Orange, that presumption has not extended to the blue water Navy veterans, that is, those veterans who served off of the Vietnam coast. This bill, thank God, corrects that decades-long mistake and expands that presumption to those who served in the blue water Navy off of the Vietnam coast and ensures equal treatment for all of our veterans. Additionally, the bill expands the dates of presumption to those who served along the Korean Demilitarized Zone and authorizes benefits for children born with spina bifida due to a parent's exposure to Agent Orange. This bill, Mr. Speaker, is long overdue, and the benefits will possibly change the lives of those veterans who served in the defense of our country and in the defense of freedom of those around the world. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 299.”