{"id":54046,"date":"2022-07-31T15:37:34","date_gmt":"2022-07-31T15:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/07\/31\/burn-pits-benefits-bill-concerns-arent-new-hinge-on-budget-moves\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:28:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:28:39","slug":"burn-pits-benefits-bill-concerns-arent-new-hinge-on-budget-moves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2022\/07\/31\/burn-pits-benefits-bill-concerns-arent-new-hinge-on-budget-moves\/","title":{"rendered":"Burn pits benefits bill concerns aren\u2019t new, hinge on budget moves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fate of over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/burn-pits\/2022\/07\/28\/angry-veterans-advocates-scramble-to-save-toxic-exposure-bill-after-surprise-setback\/\" target=\"_blank\">sweeping military toxic exposure legislation<\/a> that could benefit millions of American veterans now hinges on a fight over government accounting methods and whether that\u2019s actually Republican senators\u2019 real concerns over the nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/burn-pits\/2022\/06\/07\/despite-cost-veterans-toxic-exposure-bill-gains-bipartisan-backing\/\" target=\"_blank\">$300-billion measure. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Democrats are expected to bring up the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/burn-pits\/2022\/06\/16\/here-are-the-veterans-who-will-benefit-from-congress-sweeping-toxic-exposure-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\">Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act<\/a>, also known as the PACT Act, for another procedural vote on Monday afternoon. If they can get 60 votes for the action, the bill is likely to pass by the end of the week, and be signed into law by President Joe Biden a few days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans advocates have been lobbying for the measure for years, saying it would dramatically expand benefits for veterans suffering illnesses from burn pit smoke, Agent Orange exposure, radiation poisoning and a host of other military toxic exposure events.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/07\/28\/angry-veterans-advocates-scramble-to-save-toxic-exposure-bill-after-surprise-setback\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1242162389.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Angry veterans advocates scramble to save toxic exposure bill after surprise setback<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">&quot;We just want to know why veterans are getting screwed.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bill advanced on a 342\u201388 vote in the House two weeks ago with significant Republican support and was supported by 34 Republicans in the Senate during an 84\u201314 vote in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But last week, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/07\/27\/new-benefits-for-burn-pit-victims-in-limbo-after-senate-republicans-block-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\">during a procedural cloture vote<\/a> that was widely assumed only to be a formality, 25 Republicans flipped their vote to block the measure, saying they have newfound concerns with accounting issues that Democrats inserted into the measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New concerns?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The problem centers on how some benefits spending in the bill will be classified in federal budgeting procedures. Sen. Pat Toomey has led the charge, saying it could amount to billions in extra discretionary government spending over the next decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf we change [the law] to the way that the Democrats want, it creates room in future budgets for $400 billion of totally unrelated, extraneous spending on other matters,\u201d he said during an appearance on CNN\u2019s State of the Union on Sunday. \u201cThat\u2019s what I want to prevent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Toomey\u2019s concerns are the same he raised in June, when he was one of the 14 senators who objected to the PACT Act\u2019s final passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bill has undergone minor technical changes since then. Several Republican senators who objected last week have justified their flip in recent days by insisting that Democrats only recently inserted the problematic issues into the bill, but the discretionary spending language provisions are the same as June, when the measure easily passed the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans advocates have called the new messaging over the objections insincere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTwenty-five senators who voted for the PACT Act last month changed their vote on the exact same bill,\u201d said Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Tim Borland in a statement. \u201c[They] are risking more veterans getting sick and dying with every day this is delayed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/06\/16\/here-are-the-veterans-who-will-benefit-from-congress-sweeping-toxic-exposure-bill\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/201591.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Here are the veterans who will benefit from Congress\u2019 sweeping toxic exposure bill<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Veterans who served in Afghanistan, the first Gulf War, Vietnam and numerous other overseas locations could see new benefits under the plan.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., accused Republican senators of playing politics instead of really caring about the bill\u2019s specifics. The failed PACT Act vote last week occurred just as Senate Democratic leaders announced the framework for new comprehensive health care and climate change legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe less charitable explanation is this: Republicans are mad that Democrats are on the verge of passing climate change legislation and have decided to take out their anger on vulnerable veterans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discretionary vs. mandatory spending<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both advocates and administration officials have also disputed Toomey\u2019s concerns about the accounting issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In federal budgeting, spending classified as mandatory (which includes things like veterans benefits checks and Social Security payouts) is set in law and renewed annually. Discretionary spending, which includes program operations, can change each year depending on the whims of lawmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Toomey has said he does not have concerns with categorizing the new benefits included in the PACT Act (about $279 billion over 10 years) as mandatory spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But he insists that provisions to move other existing toxic exposure benefits spending in the annual VA budget from the discretionary budget to the mandatory one opens up the door for budgetary gimmicks down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are spending way too much money [in the federal budget],\u201d he said. \u201cTo hide behind a veterans bill the opportunity to go on an unrelated spending spree is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That theoretical spending would not be included in the PACT Act. But by reducing the total amount of discretionary spending in the non-defense side of the federal budget, future appropriators could have more flexibility to shift money into other non-veteran programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/06\/07\/despite-cost-veterans-toxic-exposure-bill-gains-bipartisan-backing\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"208\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MoranPACTrally.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Despite cost, veterans\u2019 toxic exposure bill gains bipartisan backing<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Most Senate Republicans voted for plans to move the legislation despite an estimated cost of more than $278 billion over the next 10 years.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After last week\u2019s failed cloture vote, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., blasted Toomey\u2019s arguments baseless, saying that the normal appropriations process allows those kinds of debates each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough on Sunday said requiring this block of veterans spending to remain in the discretionary budget would only endanger veterans\u2019 benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe impact of [Toomey\u2019s plan] is we may have to ration care for veterans,\u201d he said on CNN. \u201cThe estimates he uses set caps on what we can invest in people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he will allow a vote on Toomey\u2019s plan to change the accounting methods, but will require a 60-vote minimum for passage. Toomey has said he wants a simple majority vote, and floor time for other Republican amendments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the Senate amends the bill, it will need to go back to the House again for another vote before final passage. That likely wouldn\u2019t happen until September, since the House began its summer recess on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Monday\u2019s planned vote simply fails again, the fate of the measure at any point this year is unclear. Toomey insisted that a compromise can be found, but offered no timeline for when that might happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Senate is due back in for legislative business at 3 p.m. on Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans have accused Democrats of making new changes to complicate the sweeping veterans policy measure, but the budget issues they cite have been in the bill for months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":92428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,88,12,26,62,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-54046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"THNTS73PWNFVTNCWP6M264WVJY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/burn-pits\/2022\/07\/31\/burn-pits-benefits-bill-concerns-arent-new-hinge-on-budget-moves\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Burn pits benefits bill concerns aren\u2019t new, hinge on budget moves - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Republicans have accused Democrats of making new changes to complicate the sweeping veterans policy measure, but the budget issues they cite have been in the bill for months.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Burn pits benefits bill concerns aren\u2019t new, hinge on budget moves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Republicans have accused Democrats of making new changes to complicate the sweeping veterans policy measure, but the budget 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