Add your name to Jon Stewart's petition telling Congress to stop ignoring veterans who are sick and dying from toxic burn pits.

Dear MoveOn member,

Jon Stewart here with a new petition to support our military veterans. My friend John Feal and I are working with a coalition of folks looking to get health benefits and compensation for veterans who have been exposed to toxic burn pits.¹

Hundreds of tons of waste produced on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan were doused with jet and diesel fuels and burned in massive burn pits—as American soldiers lived, worked, and slept next to the toxic fumes. Now that they are home, hundreds of thousands of veterans are sick and dying from lung diseases, cancers, and respiratory illnesses.²

The U.S. military paid private companies like Halliburton subsidiary KBR billions of dollars from taxpayer funds to burn human waste, aerosols, Styrofoam, medical waste, biohazardous materials, body parts, trucks, and explosives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then troops got sick and started dying. It's haunting and a reminder that these forever wars have long-lasting consequences.³

And for every soldier returning with horrific health defects, there are untold numbers of servicemembers who continue to be subjected to burn pit sites and toxic smoke to this day. The DoD and VA must acknowledge the reality and gravity of the problems toxic chemicals from burn pits have caused and take immediate action to end the use of the active burn pits once and for all.

In addition, Congress must make health care and compensation available to veterans and servicemembers who are suffering exposure-related health effects. And we must pass legislation that grants surviving families of deceased veterans the benefits they deserve.

Sign our petition to support veterans fighting for health care benefits and compensation.

Let's fix this and stick up for the families who are fighting for health care and accountability from the same government that sent them into harm's way.

We will update you on the upcoming bill and other actions you can take as the campaign develops, so please stay tuned.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends, family, and anyone else you think will care about this issue.

Thanks!

–Jon Stewart

Sources:

1. "Rep. Sherrill Hosts Jon Stewart, Freshmen Reps, Veterans Advocates for Burn Pits Discussion," U.S. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, March 26, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/143558?t=11&akid=273022%2E40999114%2EigQreH

2. "Congress Poised to Help Veterans Exposed to 'Burn Pits' Over Decades of War," The New York Times, February 12, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/143559?t=13&akid=273022%2E40999114%2EigQreH

3. "'They really don't want this out': The biggest Iraq War scandal that nobody's talking about," Salon, February 17, 2016
https://act.moveon.org/go/143560?t=15&akid=273022%2E40999114%2EigQreH

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