The Senate has passed the Honoring Our PACT Act.
Update: according to MilitaryTimes, a final vote for the PACT Act in the House has been delayed due to “procedural issues.”
On June 16, the U.S. Senate passed the Honoring Our PACT Act with an 84-16 vote, sending it back to the House for a final vote.
The PACT Act, as it has come to be known, officially recognizes toxic exposure during military service as a cost of war, granting veterans extensive VA medical benefits on a presumptive basis even if ailments develop years or decades after the initial exposure.
The American Legion and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimate that as many as 3.5 million veterans, including those who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, and the War on Terrorism, will benefit from the legislation.
The Honoring Our PACT Act was first introduced by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) almost one year ago.
After leaving the Senate proceedings, Takano said, “next week I will take this bill back to the House floor for final approval and once more we will make clear to America’s veterans how much we value their service and sacrifice. I am eager to vote on the final version of my PACT Act and swiftly send it to President Biden’s desk for his signature. And I am confident my colleagues will join me in a bipartisan fashion.”
The Honoring Our PACT Act still has strong bipartisan support in the House and is currently expected to pass a final vote. If so, the bill will then be sent to President Joe Biden’s desk, who has previously expressed his support.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
