President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law on Aug. 10, cementing into VA healthcare presumption for ailments caused by toxic air exposure.
“The PACT Act is the least we can do for the countless men and women, many of whom may be in this room for all I know, who suffered toxic exposure while serving their country,” Biden said before signing the bill. “This new law matters. It matters a lot.”
After several last-minute amendments failed to achieve enough votes, the U.S. Senate has passed the Honoring Our PACT Act in its then-current form with 86 Senate votes, sending the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk.
The PACT Act creates a presumptive bias that many ailments suffered by veterans were caused by their military service and are therefore fully covered by VA health care. Roughly 3.5 million current veterans are expected to benefit from the legislation.
The bill was first introduced by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) last year. After the PACT Act passed, Takano said:
“We have held true to our promise, held true to the pact we have made with America’s veterans, held true to our belief that toxic exposure is a cost of war. Soon, President Biden will sign this historic benefits package and let veterans of today and tomorrow know that their country will care for them and pay for the cost of that care when they leave the military. That is how America can rightfully thank them for their service.”
The bill held widespread bipartisan support among lawmakers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; many veterans services organizations, including The American Legion; advocates like Jon Stewart, and a strong majority of veterans and service members.
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.