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Hi John.
My mom served in the U.S. Army for 20 years.
I learned so much about service, sacrifice, and dedication to country through her. It’s so clear to me that we have to do a much better job of supporting the men and women who served our nation in uniform. Thankfully, though, this is an area where both parties can work together.
That’s why I pushed hard to pass the bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act. I was pleased to work with Republicans and Democrats to get this bill signed into law. Click here to learn more.
During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many servicemembers were exposed to dangerous toxins from burn pits. These large, open-air fires were used to burn everything from tires to computers, to medical waste, and more. Some pits were quite large, including one that was larger than ten acres in Iraq.
Millions of veterans were exposed to toxic hazards at these burn pits, and tragically many are now getting ill. To make matters worse, leaders often didn’t track burn pit exposure. The burden had been on veterans to prove their exposure to these toxins to qualify for the health care they needed from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
But the bipartisan PACT Act is finally helping to change that.
The new bipartisan law ensures that nearly two dozen health conditions caused by toxic exposure are now considered combat-related, and more health conditions are being added annually.
That’ll help ensure more than 3.5 million veterans can finally receive the health care they need at the VA. The law is also supporting a new clinic at the Kansas City VA to help veterans locally who need help under the law.
Do you or does someone you know need help? Please click here to visit va.gov/PACTACT to learn more about the new law and how you might be able to get help. You can also call them at 800-698-2411 to ask questions.
There’s certainly a lot more work that we must do. But this is critical progress for Kansas veterans. And it happened because both Republicans and Democrats came together to do the right thing.
It’s an honor to serve you and your family in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please also know that you can visit my office’s Help for Veterans page to learn about how we can help local veterans. You can also click here to share your views or ask a question.
My warmest regards,
Sharice L. Davids
Member of Congress
P.S. What did you think of this email update?
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Remember, if you ever need help right away with the federal government – anything from backlogged veterans’ benefits to stalled tax refunds – please contact my office in Overland Park at (913) 621-0832. You’re also welcome to contact my office to share your concerns on any issue.
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