“As Commander in Chief of the Kansas National Guard, I am grateful to Senator Moran and Representative Davids for leading the push to pass the PACT Act and deliver care for the troops who have done so much to protect us,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I encourage every Kansas veteran impacted by this new law to contact the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office and get the care they deserve.”
The veterans administration will now accept all eligible candidates without requiring a “burden of proof” indicating they had suffered from exposure. Many veterans have been refused medical coverage, letters of denial stating they could not prove their health issues were linked to toxic exposure during their service.
"In January 2022, Earthjustice and the Guam community group, Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian, filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force for its intent to continue to utilize open burn and open detonation practices at Tarague Beach on Andersen Air Force Base," the release added.
Expanded health care benefits are coming soon for more than 150,000 Minnesota veterans -- and a Mankato man played key role in scoring this big win.
The legislation expands Department of Veterans Affairs medical eligibility for ailments potentially related to exposure to smoke from massive burn pits in Afghanistan, Iraq and bases in the Middle East. The veterans could qualify from a long list of potential ailments five or 10 years after discharge. It also creates a one-year enrollment period for post 9/11 vets who did not enroll during their first five years after discharge.
President Biden’s compassion was on full display at the signing of the PACT act. It was beautiful to watch. As I was reading the comments, I kept expecting attacks from the ugly authoritarian white supremacist white grievance bigot party members and I haven’t seen a single one after twenty comments (there might-be likely are some, unfortunately, in the replies to the comments) and the comments are chicken soup for the soul. They will warm your heart! It’s hard to pick the ones to display!
“It’s almost like a court case, you know building a case. In court you need to have evidence, you need to have the what. You’re the who, but you need to have the what and the when and the why to put that case together and file a successful claim at the VA,” Dykes said.
Before founding the club, Harrell spent nine years in the service with tours to Kuwait and Cyprus. However, Iraq was where he said he lived the closest, about a football field away from the burn pit.
“It was a bittersweet moment to see President Biden sign this bill into law, to witness history,” said Partin, who attended the event. “As he signed, I thought about those who didn’t make it and are no longer with us. I wondered will the Navy finally come clean and do the right thing for our Navy and Marine service members and their families? We have reached our final chapter in this 25-plus year fight for justice.”
Earlier this month, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) spoke about the passage of the Honoring Our PACT Act.