Rand Paul: “we absolutely must take care of those who were harmed in service to our country. I have supported several bills to take…”

“we absolutely must take care of those who were harmed in service to our country. I have supported several bills to take care of our veterans. In February of this year, I supported a bill that passed the Senate called the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, which extends the eligibility period for combat veterans who served after 9/11 and were exposed to toxic substances so they are able to receive care at the VA. I have also supported the VA MISSION Act, the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act, the TEAM Caregivers Act, and the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act, all of which expand care for veterans. When the war in Afghanistan came to a close, I proposed using those funds saved by ending the war to give a $2,500 bonus to all members of the military who served in the Global War on Terrorism. We must take care of our veterans and keep our country strong. This bill puts our economy, though, at risk by creating presumptions of service connection for the most common of ailments. For example, this legislation creates a presumption of service connection for Vietnam veterans for hypertension, but according to the CDC, 50 percent of men and 44 percent of women in the United States have hypertension. More than 60 percent of people over the age of 60 have hypertension. In total, the CDC estimates that 116 million Americans have hypertension.…”