On the recordMarch 3, 2022
I would like to thank Chairman Takano and the Veterans' Affairs Committee staff for their tireless work, their leadership, their courage and bravery to address this incredible problem. I would also like to thank all the veterans who spoke up when nobody listened, like Rosie Torres from Burn Pits 360; and many others who have lost a loved one; and all the widows who have been crying to be recognized and pleading with us to do something so that other veterans wouldn't suffer these atrocities. This is a self-inflicted DOD wound that our military did to our servicemembers, and now they are dying as delayed casualties of war due to those exposures. We need to save lives today. This is a life-and- death situation. If there is ever a human face to policy, it is now in this policy because there are children wondering why, when their parents came back healthy from the war, they died 5, 6, 7 years later. This is why we need to pass this bill and ensure that our promise to our veterans, and our promise to our Vietnam veterans, that we will never allow their Agent Orange experience to translate ever again into the American experience. This is our time to stand up for our veterans, not just in hugging flags, but also in pragmatic solidarity and support to give them the care and the relief that they need right now. Madam Speaker, I wish the Kepner family a very happy birthday celebration in memory of Jennifer Kepner. I yield back the balance of my time.
