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[Page H17]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORT LIFESAVING AGENT ORANGE BILLS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) for 5 minutes.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the
thousands of Vietnam war veterans who served our country but are unable
to receive the VA benefits they earned and were promised.
When Mr. Bill Rhodes from Mena, Arkansas, first reached out to my
office several years ago, his case seemed simple. He just needed our
assistance in filing a benefits claim with the VA. But we soon learned
he wasn't eligible because the VA didn't extend the presumption of
Agent Orange exposure to veterans who served in Thailand during the
Vietnam war.
Mr. Rhodes isn't a unique case. There are thousands of other veterans
across the country who put their lives on the line during the Vietnam
war. They made it home safely, only to learn years later that exposure
to Agent Orange was making them sick.
Military personnel involved with the storage and transportation of
Agent Orange suffered the worst rates of exposure. The average
concentration of the toxic chemical was 13 times the recommended rate
for domestic use.
Despite constant reassurance that it was safe and harmless to handle
during the war, veterans began reporting symptoms of lymphoma,
leukemia, respiratory cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, digestive
disorders, and other diseases.
Thanks to the passage of the Blue Water Navy Act last year, we are
finally seeing progress as of January 1. Veterans who served off the
coast of Vietnam are finally able to receive benefits for their
exposure.
This bill also included language I introduced that extends benefits
to children born with spina bifida as a result of their parent's
exposure to toxic herbicides.
The Blue Water Navy Act is a big win for many veterans, but our work
is not finished.
Mr. Horace Wynn, another Vietnam veteran in our district, reached out
this past year regarding his diagnosis and its relation to Agent
Orange.
Mr. Wynn's advocacy is why I introduced the bipartisan Keeping Our
Promises Act, which would make an additional nine medical conditions
eligible for benefits that stem from Agent Orange exposure.
I also reintroduced a bill from the 115th Congress, H.R. 2201, that
would allow Vietnam-era veterans who served in Thailand to apply for
benefits based on exposure to Agent Orange. This bill is a direct
result of my conversations with Mr. Rhodes, and Arkansas Senator John
Boozman has introduced the same legislation in the Senate.
Veteran organizations across the country are mailing letters of
support in orange envelopes to their elected Representatives, urging
them to support these lifesaving bills. The least we can do is listen.
But we should do more. We must pass these bills for our Nation's
veterans. They deserve it.
Our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line to serve
their country. In return, we promised that we would provide assistance
for their medical bills and benefits. It is past time we keep those
promises.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to
join me in getting these bills passed and signed into law.
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