Dear Friend,

According to the Department of Defense, over 3.5 million veterans have been exposed to toxic burn pits while serving overseas in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. These burn pits are used in combat to dispose of military waste, but they also release toxic chemicals that frequently result in respiratory illness or cancer that have plagued veterans nationwide. Unfortunately, veterans have been unable to receive disability benefits and medical care because of a lack of recognized evidence correlating burn pits with health issues. I’m happy to say that’s finally changed.

On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, or the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, which I was proud to vote in favor of when it passed the House of Representatives on by a vote of 256-174 on March 3, 2022. This landmark piece of legislation would finally allow our veterans to receive benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for 23 toxic exposure-related conditions, importantly including those who have been previously denied benefits and care for burn pit exposure.

Surviving family members may apply for these benefits using the appropriate VA form on va.gov/family-member-benefits. Please note, you do not need to wait for VA to contact you to submit a claim. You can learn more about the PACT Act by visiting VA.gov/PACT or calling 1-800-MY-VA-411.

I have been a longtime advocate for making it easier for our heroes to access their VA benefits. That is why I fought for years to establish a VA health clinic in our area. And in May of 2019, I was thrilled to announce the opening of the San Gabriel Valley Community Based Outpatient Clinic (SGV CBOC), the first Veteran's clinic in the San Gabriel Valley in over eight years. The SGV CBOC, located at 7 West Foothill Boulevard in Arcadia, offers Veterans access to primary care, mental health care, telehealth, and basic laboratory services on an interim basis for the next three to five years until a larger, full-service clinic in the San Gabriel Valley is completed. Our district has over 45,000 Veterans who have served our country, and each one deserves to get the care they need without having to travel long distances or face excessive wait times. For assistance from this Clinic, please call (818) 672-2800.

My local office as well is ready to help any veterans in my district with any problems they may be having with the federal government. If you, a veteran or their family member needs help, please visit chu.house.gov/services/help-with-a-federal-agency for more information or call (626) 304-0110 to get help.

Sincerely,

Judy Chu, PhD
Member of Congress