Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge support for my amendment, along with my colleague from North Carolina, Representative Rouzer. This amendment will require the Department of Defense to study additional non-fire extinguishing agent sources of toxic PFAS, known as forever chemicals on military installations. Our amendment also requires the Department of Defense to make a recommendation to Congress on expanding the eligibility for the VA's registry of individuals exposed to PFAS during their service. While fire extinguishing agents are a common source of servicemember exposure to forever chemicals, as the Speaker knows, PFAS toxins are ever present on military bases from other sources. Studies have shown that these dangerous toxicants are ubiquitous in the kinds of ready-made meal packages, textiles, and cookware used on military installations. Use of these products has exposed servicemembers and veterans to PFAS, which have been proven to cause cancer, liver damage, birth defects, and other troubling medical conditions. We must ensure that we fully understand the scope of PFAS exposure on military bases and expand our parameters for veteran eligibility for medical care accordingly. Doing so will give veterans exposed to these toxins the opportunity to receive care for the conditions they develop as a result of their service in uniform.…”