Friends,

This time two years ago, I was proud to join my colleagues in Congress in passing the landmark Honoring Our PACT Act, a well-deserved boost to care for the men and women who served our country in Vietnam, the Gulf War, and after 9/11. We expanded care for over 3.5 million veterans who faced toxic exposure during their service, made it easier for them to get claims approved, and made historic investments in the VA. Our veterans deserve to be healthy and supported, and this law was a historic step forward on that priority.

Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, we’ve made enormous progress expanding coverage for veterans. In that time, the VA added 325,000 new enrollees, screened over 5.6 million veterans for toxic exposure, and processed nearly 1.5 million claims. In addition, we funded 31 new VA facilities across the country to ensure veterans have convenient access to high-quality care.

For those who served in Vietnam or since, or who faced toxic exposure, it’s not too late to get care. If you think you might be eligible for PACT Act benefits, I encourage you to apply or find more information here. There is no deadline to apply for the support you deserve.

In Virginia, we have one of the fastest-growing military populations in the country. That’s why the PACT Act will also build a new VA clinic in Hampton Roads. Plus, we broke ground on another new clinic in Chesapeake almost two years ago, too! It’s designed to serve 70 percent of the veterans there—a monumental task that I’m committed to seeing through. 

The pact we make as a country with our servicemembers is sacred, constant, and worth upholding. That’s why recently, I’ve urged the VA to expand resources for victims of military sexual trauma, visited and heard from veterans across the Commonwealth, and spearheaded Congressional efforts to improve and maintain VA facilities.

If you ever want to share your thoughts about an issue that’s important to you, you can send me an email any time using the form on my Senate website. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,