PACT act passed by US Senate aims to help veterans injured by burn pits in Afghanistan, Iraq
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The PACT Act passed by the United States Senate Tuesday evening aims to aid veterans injured by toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Many Pennsylvanians stand to benefit from the passage, as the Keystone State has the fourth largest veterans population in the country. The Pennsylvania National Guard alone sent 38,000 troops to the two countries.
However popular, the PACT Act did not pass unanimously. Eleven senators voted against it, including Sen. Pat Toomey.
Toomey argued on the Senate floor that there were add-ons to the bill that had nothing to do with helping veterans.
“We are witnessing a very old Washington trick playing out on what might be an unprecedented scale,” Toomey said. “Congressional Budget Office estimates that clever little device could result in up to — maybe more — $400 billion in extra spending over the next 10 years.”
Efforts to amend the bill did not pass.
So, what is a burn pit?
The Department of Veterans Affairs describes it as areas “devoted to open-air combustion of trash.” They say that smoke from the pits “contained substances that may have short- and long-term health effects.”
The VA attributes multiple types of cancers and other respiratory problems to exposure.
Both candidates looking to fill Toomey’s seat, Republican Dr. Methmet Oz and Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, support the PACT Act.
Channel 11 reached out to the VA Public Healthcare Systems in Pittsburgh and Butler County. Both referred us to a statement by VA Secretary Denis McDonough:
“Veterans who were exposed to toxic fumes while fighting for our country are American heroes, and they deserve world-class care and benefits for their selfless service. The bipartisan PACT Act will help VA deliver for those veterans — and their survivors — by empowering us to presumptively provide care and benefits to vets suffering from more than 20 toxic exposure-related conditions.”
If you or a veteran you know may have been exposed to burn pits and are dealing with health issues, you are urged to call 800-MyVA411.
Click here for the full statement from the VA Secretary.
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