“My concern about this bill has nothing to do with the purpose of the bill,” Toomey said. “This budgetary gimmick is so unrelated to the actual veterans issue that has to do with burn pits, that it’s not even in the House version of this bill.”
Republican lawmakers who had previously voted against the measure, including Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., reiterated objections to how the money connected to the measure (about $300 billion over 10 years) would be accounted for in the regular appropriations process.
“Once more, the House of Representatives has made clear to America's veterans how much we value their service and sacrifice,” said House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who sponsored the bill, when the most recent version was passed in the house July 13.
The Act requires that the injured person, or the representative of a deceased injured person, first, file an administrative claim for damages with the appropriate federal agency within two (2) years after the date of enactment.
A bill that’s awaiting a minor technical change and the president’s signature will finally provide a legal avenue for those who got sick or had family members who got sick and died. Lawyers aren’t waiting for the president’s John Hancock. They’re paying for a flurry of online commercials and television ads to recruit plaintiffs.