Senate nears vote on bill to aid military veterans exposed to burn pits
WASHINGTON — A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits was expected to win final approval in the Senate on Tuesday, ending a brief stalemate over the measure that had infuriated advocates and inspired some to camp outside the Capitol.
President Joe Biden has pushed for the legislation, saying the measure “makes good on our sacred obligation” to care for veterans and their families.
The Senate overwhelmingly approved the legislation once before, but it required a do-over for a technical fix. But the process derailed when Republicans made a late attempt to change another aspect of the bill last week and blocked it from advancing. The abrupt delay outraged veterans groups and advocates, including comedian Jon Stewart. It also placed
GOP senators in the uncomfortable position of delaying the top legislative priority of service organizations this session of Congress.
A group of veterans and their families have been camping out at the Capitol since that vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he had good news for them, announcing a final vote Tuesday night.
“Veterans who were exposed to the toxic fumes of burn pits will be treated by the VA like they should have been from the beginning,” Schumer said.
Some Democrats have questioned whether Republicans blocked the bill for spite, after an announcement just hours earlier that key Democrats had agreed on a way forward on a health, energy and tax bill that Republicans oppose and may be unable to stop.
Republican senators rejected that charge and said the changes they seek would not affect spending for veterans in the bill.
The bill contains two major components for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Veterans who served near burn pits will get 10 years — rather than five — of enhanced health care coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs upon their separation from the military.
Second, the legislation directs the VA to presume that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were related to burn pit exposure, allowing veterans to obtain disability payments to compensate for their injury without having to prove the illness was a result of their service.
Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War era veterans and their survivors also stand to benefit from the legislation.