Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss Ranking Member Bost's amendment to replace the Honoring our PACT Act with the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act. The Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act is a bipartisan legislation that has already passed in the Senate. It would expand healthcare for toxic-exposed veterans by extending VA's enhanced combat eligibility period from 5 to 10 years. That would give post-9/11 combat veterans a decade after leaving the military to enroll in VA care without having a service-connected disability rating or a low income. Those who have been out of the military for more than a decade would be able to enroll during a 1-year open enrollment period. The bill would also improve training for VA staff on how to recognize and treat toxic exposure; research on the impact of toxic exposure; and outreach about the resources available to veterans regarding toxic exposure. CBO has estimated that the bill would cost $1 billion in discretionary funding over 10 years. {time} 1400 This is in stark contrast to the over $300 billion discretionary and mandatory costs of the PACT Act. The Healthcare for Burn Pit Veterans Act would not expand compensation benefits for toxic-exposed veterans. I appreciate the importance of benefits. That is why Ranking Member Bost and I remain committed to working across the aisle and Capitol to improve benefits for toxic-exposed veterans.…”