Tim Walz: “I would like to thank my good friend from Florida for his work on the VA extenders bill. I appreciate his partnership as…”

“I would like to thank my good friend from Florida for his work on the VA extenders bill. I appreciate his partnership as we continue to fight for our veterans. However, Mr. Speaker, I remain deeply disappointed that this extenders bill does not include an extension of the Agent Orange Act. As you know, Congress passed the Agent Orange Act in 1991 to ensure care and compensation to Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Before this bill, it was up to our veterans to prove their cancer or Parkinson's was connected to their service in Vietnam and their exposure to Agent Orange. The Agent Orange Act changed all of that, shifting the burden of proof from the veteran to the VA. Under the Agent Orange Act, the IOM would study Agent Orange and determine which diseases were associated with exposure to Agent Orange. This process removed the burden of proof from our Vietnam veterans when they applied for disability compensation. Over the years, the IOM has issued reports that have led to the presumption of service connection for diseases such as Parkinson's, B- cell leukemia and early onset peripheral neuropathy. Without these studies, thousands of Vietnam era veterans would have gone without the benefits they greatly deserve. The Agent Orange Act is set to expire tomorrow, but IOM is still working on their last report. And, despite the good the Agent Orange Act has done for our Vietnam veterans, Congress is going to let this bill expire tomorrow.…”