Sheila Jackson Lee: “I would like to thank Office of Assistant Leader Joe Neguse and Ranking Member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee Mark…”

“I would like to thank Office of Assistant Leader Joe Neguse and Ranking Member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee Mark Takano for hosting this special order hour and helping to raise awareness about the extended efforts made to secure and expand PACT Act benefits for over 1 million veterans and survivors. The landmark bipartisan Sergeant First Class Health Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, otherwise known as the PACT Act, was signed into law in 2022, enacting perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history. This law provides expanded benefits to Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances, helping generations of Veterans--and their survivors, receive the critical care they deserve. And as of 2024, these VA health care benefits were expanded to millions of Veterans--years earlier than initially called for by the 2022 passage of the PACT Act. As a senior member of this Congress and a longtime supporter of Veterans, I know the passage of this law has been a step in the right direction to address all harms Veterans in America sadly face and continue to face, particularly Black and minority Veterans. There is a long and painful history of denial of service-related toxic exposure that dates back to nuclear testing conducted during and in the decades following WWII that cause premature deaths, cancers and other service-related injuries.…”