Rep. Wild Again Votes to Pass Toxic Exposure Legislation Expanding Health Care for Vets

Washington, DC – Yesterday, Representative Susan Wild voted to send the bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act)  back to the Senate for final passage. The PACT Act will finally classify toxic exposure as a cost of war resulting in toxic-exposed veterans qualifying for access to earned benefits and health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“For too long veterans have suffered under the burden of having to prove their illnesses were caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during their service to our country, preventing them from accessing the health care and benefits they have rightfully earned,” said Rep. Wild. “American veterans have waited too long for this monumental piece of legislation, and I am proud that we are making clear that the service and sacrifice they have made on behalf of our country are valued and honored– reflected by our bipartisan passage of the PACT Act.”

The PACT Act remedies the undue burden on toxic-exposed veterans by streamlining presumption of service frameworks, keeps our promise to veterans by expanding VA health care eligibility to over 3.5 million toxic-exposed vets, strengthens federal research on toxic exposure, and makes investments in the VA’s workforce, health care infrastructure, and claims processing.

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