Thomas Daschle: “The basis of the assumptions is, as I said earlier, that the law requires the National Academy of Sciences to review all…”

“The basis of the assumptions is, as I said earlier, that the law requires the National Academy of Sciences to review all of the outstanding information, all of the scientific data that is available currently, including but not limited to the Ranch Hand study, assess that data and make a determination based upon that assessment as to whether an association exists. By law, they are required to do that. By law, they have. Having done that, by law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the President, and 26 of us in the Senate--as well as more in the House-- are now responding. The law required that we give the benefit of the doubt to the veteran. Now, there have been those who have historically opposed that presumptive disability compensation in the law. But it is the law. What we are now saying is that the law must extend to the children, as it has been extended to agent orange victims in the past, over the objections, I might add, of a few of my colleagues. Again, Public Law 102-4 has been passed; it is the law, and it is our responsibility to live up to our commitments.”