Kaptur Votes to Expand Healthcare for 3.5M Veterans Exposed to Toxic Substances

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) released the following statement after the House passed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act. The bill is named in honor of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson of Ohio who passed away from cancer in 2020 after being exposed to burn pits while deployed to Iraq.

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act empowers the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to properly address the full range of health issues faced by veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service.

Servicemembers can be exposed to toxic substances through airborne hazards from burn pits, contaminated water at military bases, radiation from atomic testing and cleanups, and contact with Agent Orange. Under current federal law, the process for veterans to receive VA healthcare services related to their exposure to toxic substances is cumbersome and inadequate.

The PACT Act reforms the VA’s current process by:

• Adding 23 toxic substance exposure-related conditions to the list of illnesses presumed to be service-connected
• Expanding healthcare eligibility to more than 3.5 million post-9/11 veterans exposed to toxic substances
• Enhancing benefits claims processing, investing in workforce and facility needs, and increasing federal research into toxic substance exposure

“Veterans who served our nation so honorably are owed the eternal gratitude of the American people,” said Rep. Kaptur. “But they are also owed so much more. When returning from the battlefield with grievous injuries and illnesses, America must deliver every ounce of care they need to heal and overcome. The PACT Act strengthens our commitment to the men and women who served America and ensures they are able to live with the dignity and comfort they deserve.”

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For more information, contact Chris Dalton at chris.dalton@mail.house.gov.