American Legion presents award to Congressman Raul Ruiz
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Legion recognized the State representative for California’s 25th congressional district, Congressman Raul Ruiz, with the Distinguished Public Service Award on Tuesday, February 28, “for his leadership in helping pass the Honoring our PACT Act, a historic law to help veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins receive the health care and benefits they earned, need, and deserve,” according to a press release.
Ruiz received the award during the 60th Annual National Commander’s Call in Washington, D.C., the release states. The Distinguished Public Service Award also recognized Ruiz for his advocacy to protect non-citizen veterans and their families and help bring home unfairly deported veterans, it reads.
“I am so honored to accept the American Legion’s National Commander’s Distinguished
Public Service Award,” Ruiz said in his acceptance speech. “Over the years, it has been a great pleasure to work with many of you in this room to secure the recognition, benefits, and care our nation’s veterans have earned, deserve, and need.”
“The Honoring our PACT Act is now the law of the land because of you,” Ruiz said to those gathered in Washington. “This is a great victory that we share together because of the leadership and advocacy of the American Legion.”
House Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39), the author of the Honoring our PACT Act and the Veteran Service Recognition Act, was in attendance at the National Commander’s Call on Tuesday. “Ruiz and Ranking Member Takano worked closely together to get the Honoring our PACT to President Biden’s desk and pass legislation protecting
unfairly deported veterans out of the House last Congress,” per the release.
“After years of advocating for toxic-exposed veterans, Dr. Ruiz’s Distinguished Public Service Award is well-deserved,” said Ranking Member Takano. “Thanks to his partnership and collaboration with the Committee and with Legionnaires, we were able to develop a meaningful and comprehensive law that expanded care to over 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans.”
“I congratulate Dr. Ruiz on this impressive honor and look forward to continuing our fight to continue helping all who served,” Takano said.