President Joe Biden visited New Hampshire on May 22, 2024, to discuss his administration's efforts to help military veterans receive benefits for health issues resulting from toxic exposures during their service.
The PACT Act, signed into law in August 2022, has granted over 1 million claims to more than 888,000 veterans and their survivors in all 50 states, enabling them to receive disability benefits.
Biden emphasized the importance of not leaving veterans behind and thanked them for their sacrifices.
The Biden administration announced that the PACT Act, a bill aimed at providing benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances, will provide approximately $5.7 billion in benefits.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough stated that President Biden has long believed that veterans who fell ill after serving their country should not have to fight the VA for care.
The PACT Act, which includes the "Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics" acronym, is a deeply personal issue for Biden, as he has linked his son Beau's brain cancer death to toxic exposure during his military service in Iraq.
The text discusses the issue of burn pits on military bases in Iraq and
Afghanistan, where various waste, including chemicals, tires, plastics, medical equipment, and human waste, were disposed of.
Before a new law, the Department of Veterans Affairs denied 70% of disability claims related to burn pit exposure.
The new law, PACT Act, now assumes that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were caused by burn pit or other toxic exposure, making it easier for veterans to receive benefits.
Before making remarks at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in New Hampshire, President Biden met with Lisa Clark, an Air Force veteran, whose late husband, Senior Master Sergeant Carl Clark, received benefits due to his exposure to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
Sen. Jon Tester, a Democratic senator from Montana and chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, celebrated the passing of the PACT Act.
This law aims to provide better support for veterans exposed to toxins during military conflicts.
Tester praised the veterans who advocated for the law and expressed disappointment that the country had neglected its promises to these veterans for too long.