{"id":56481,"date":"2022-03-03T18:37:20","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T18:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/03\/03\/plan-to-give-new-benefits-to-burn-pits-victims-passes-house-faces-difficult-path-ahead\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:01:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:01:15","slug":"plan-to-give-new-benefits-to-burn-pits-victims-passes-house-faces-difficult-path-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2022\/03\/03\/plan-to-give-new-benefits-to-burn-pits-victims-passes-house-faces-difficult-path-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Plan to give new benefits to burn pits victims passes House, faces difficult path ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House lawmakers on Thursday passed sweeping military toxic exposure legislation which could grant new disability benefits for 23 illnesses linked to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/01\/05\/new-in-2022-when-will-all-burn-pit-victims-finally-get-veterans-benefits\/\" target=\"_blank\"> burn pit smoke<\/a> and benefit as many as one in every five veterans living in America today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, whether the bill can become law \u2014 either in its current form or massively scaled down \u2014 remains unclear. The measure faced significant opposition from Republican lawmakers worried about its cost and scope, and Senate lawmakers have thus far backed smaller measures on the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thursday\u2019s 256-174 vote came just two days after President Joe Biden stood in the House chamber to deliver his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/03\/01\/biden-vows-va-will-do-better-on-veterans-burn-pit-illnesses\/\" target=\"_blank\">State of the Union speech<\/a>, where he called for Congress to \u201cpass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposures in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they deserve.\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\/03\/02\/biden-vows-va-will-do-better-on-veterans-burn-pit-illnesses\/\" 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\/AP22061084289997.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\">Biden vows VA will do better on veterans\u2019 burn pit illnesses<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The president used his State of the Union address to promise more benefits and help for military toxic exposure victims.<\/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 Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act would establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to the smoke from burn pits, used extensively in those war zones to dispose of various types of waste, many of them toxic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bill also provides for new benefits for veterans who faced radiation exposure during deployments throughout the Cold War, adds hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy to the list of illnesses linked to Agent Orange exposure in the Vietnam War, and requires new medical exams for all veterans with toxic exposure claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All together, the provisions could affect more than 3.5 million veterans, a dramatic expansion of benefits that officials estimate could cost more than $207 billion over the next decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But bill sponsor Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif. and chairman of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, said the price tag should not stop lawmakers from giving veterans the benefits they deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor far too long, Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs have been slow to accept responsibility for [veterans\u2019] care, citing high costs or lack of absolute scientific proof of connection to service,\u201d he said in floor debate on the measure on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe result is a disability claims process that is cumbersome and places the burden of proof of toxic exposure on veterans themselves \u2026 Our veterans are fighting their own government to grant them the care they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The measure has been pending in the chamber for nearly a year. A day before the House vote, advocates held a rally outside the Capitol to urge swift passage of the legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of these veteran service organizations, they\u2019ve been out here working on this since Vietnam,\u201d said comedian Jon Stewart, who has been lobbying on the burn pits issue for several years. \u201cThe learning curve of this country on how we treat our veterans when they come home from war is so painfully slow. The pace is unacceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut today you can feel a difference. Hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Katie Purswell, an Army veteran and director of Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation at The American Legion, said her deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan left her with permanent damage because of the burn pit smoke that was frequently present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI just can\u2019t take a deep breath anymore,\u201d she said. \u201cI struggle to think of a single person that I deployed with that was not exposed to some form of toxin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile it was our decision to raise our hands and to fight our nation\u2019s wars, what we didn\u2019t know was that our long-lasting health issues might not even begin to show while we were in service. The extent of damage done to us will not be known for decades.\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\/2021\/08\/02\/for-first-time-some-burn-pit-victims-will-get-presumptive-status-for-disability-benefits\/\" 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\/201595.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\">For first time, some burn pit victims will get presumptive status for disability benefits<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">An estimated 3.5 million veterans suffered some burn pit exposure overseas during deployments in the last 20 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\">Past estimates from the department have put the number of individuals exposed to toxic smoke from burn pits during the last 20 years at more than 3.5 million. But only a small fraction of that group has received disability benefits for long-term health issues, and typically only after years of paperwork and arguments with Department of Veteran Affairs claims staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last August, VA for the first time granted presumptive benefit status to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for a limited number of respiratory illnesses. Department officials said that since then, they have granted more than 16,500 new claims related to burn pit injuries, totaling $36 million in retroactive benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But advocacy groups say that doesn\u2019t go far enough, given the rising number of rare cancers and unusual respiratory illnesses being found in younger veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only 34 Republican lawmakers joined with Democrats in passing the measure. All of the 174 votes against the bill were Republicans, who pushed before the vote to substitute a slimmed-down plan which would extend health care coverage for veterans for 10 years after they leave military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf the PACT Act is enacted, VA estimates the disability claims backlog could reach over 1.5 million claims by the end of fiscal year 2023,\u201d said Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa and an Air Force veteran. \u201cThat\u2019s more than double the height of the backlog in 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf veterans were waiting years for their benefits nine years ago, imagine how long they would have to wait today for a backlog that is more than two times the size it was then. That is completely unreasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA and White House officials have both backed congressional action on the issue but declined to support any specific measure.<\/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\/02\/01\/new-burn-pit-bill-promises-immediate-help-for-vets-but-some-call-bs\/\" 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\">New burn pit bill promises immediate help for vets, but some call \u2018BS\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The new Senate proposal is at odds with a more ambitious House plan to address toxic exposure injuries.<\/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\">Last month, Senate officials unanimously passed legislation extending veterans\u2019 health care coverage to 10 years post-service in a move that Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., insisted was only the first step in addressing the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ahead of Thursday\u2019s House vote, he said he supports the PACT Act but \u201cthe House has the ability to get this all done in one fell swoop, and I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will work with Senate leadership personally to find a compromise on the issue that delivers meaningful help to as many veterans as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI do think that when our colleagues on the other side of the building understand the differences between the two pieces of legislation, we will find common ground,\u201d she said. \u201cBut if we\u2019re not willing to pay the price of war, then we shouldn\u2019t go to war in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jonstewart?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@jonstewart<\/a> says the president discussing burn pits in the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/StateOfTheUnion?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#StateOfTheUnion<\/a> last night and the momentum of legislation on the issue has given advocates hope. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aSr2fW3DBR\">pic.twitter.com\/aSr2fW3DBR<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Leo Shane III (@LeoShane) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LeoShane\/status\/1499033353600835593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 2, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The move comes just days after President Joe Biden urged Congress to provide more help for veterans suffering from the toxic smoke.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":94364,"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":[101,23,89,12,26,62,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-56481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"RW2TGXNWTFCAXPDSGX4U3VTZIA","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2022\/03\/03\/plan-to-give-new-benefits-to-burn-pits-victims-passes-house-faces-difficult-path-ahead\/","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>Plan to give new benefits to burn pits victims passes House, faces difficult path ahead - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The move comes just days after President Joe Biden urged Congress to provide more help for veterans suffering from the toxic smoke.\" \/>\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=\"Plan to give new benefits to burn pits victims passes House, faces difficult path ahead\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The move comes just days after President Joe Biden urged Congress to provide more help for veterans suffering from the toxic smoke.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2022\/03\/03\/plan-to-give-new-benefits-to-burn-pits-victims-passes-house-faces-difficult-path-ahead\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-03T18:37:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T10:01:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t          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