Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Takano for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Honoring our PACT Act. All too often, many veterans hear the words ``thank you for your service'' but don't see enough action behind those words. Sadly, that has been true for millions of veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their service and are now suffering from related health conditions. While they defended our country, they were exposed to burn pits, PFAS chemicals, and more, but we failed to hold up our end of the bargain to care for them when they returned home. In the case of Vietnam veterans, many who were exposed to Agent Orange, were forced to wait more than 40 years before they saw proper benefits. For too long, the burden of proof has been on the veteran to show that their illness is a result of toxic exposure they experienced during their service. For too long, veterans have been told that it is too expensive to cover the range of health issues that they have as a result of their toxic exposure. That is wrong, and we must do better for our veterans. With the Honoring our PACT Act, we can do right by our veterans. This includes finally presuming that if they were exposed to toxic substances during their service and are now experiencing one of 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers, then that illness is as a result of their exposure, and they are owed proper access to benefits and care through the VA.…”