Lee Zeldin: “I thank the ranking member, and I thank the chairman for bringing this bill to the entire committee in a bipartisan…”

“I thank the ranking member, and I thank the chairman for bringing this bill to the entire committee in a bipartisan fashion again. This is the second time that the House has taken action to pass this legislation. It is incredibly important for the Senate to do their part to help make this actually become law. I am looking forward to that bill signing, and it is decades overdue. I rise today in support of H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor. This bill expands treatment coverage for those affected by Agent Orange from not only those who served on the ground, but to those servicemembers who are known as blue water Navy vets who were affected while serving our Nation at sea. I live in a county called Suffolk in the State of New York. We have the largest veterans population of any county in the entire State. Thousands of Vietnam veterans and their families would now be able to receive benefits that they have earned. These brave servicemembers have put their lives on the line for our great Nation, and they have earned nothing less than the highest quality care. Additionally, this legislation includes my bill, the Flexible VA Loan Guarantee Act, which expands veterans' opportunity for homeownership by eliminating the loan limit the VA can guarantee. This is especially critical in districts like mine.…”