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Dear Veteran,
Thank you for your service to our country. Throughout my tenure I’ve made it my mission to advocate on behalf of the men and women who bravely donned our nation’s uniform. I want to update you on a few developments on critical legislation impacting many Veterans and share information about an opportunity for Veterans in our community to receive free dental care this November.
Last month, the PACT Act was finally signed into law. This is a critical step forward for Veterans who have been exposed to toxins during their service to our nation. It includes several key provisions I originally authored which were inspired by local heroes who have lost their lives as a result of toxic exposure. With the help of Lauren Price, a local Veteran and advocate, I first filed comprehensive burn pit legislation in 2018 along with my colleague, Congressman Ruiz. Lauren developed a terminal illness due to her exposure to burn pit toxins in Iraq. Despite her illness, she was passionate about making sure her brothers and sisters in arms would finally be able to access the medical care and benefits they had earned. Lauren worked tirelessly to help me craft legislation and testified at multiple Congressional hearings. Since 2018, I’ve continued to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate to push this critical issue forward. As we celebrate this long-awaited victory, I can’t help but think of Lauren, who lost her battle last spring.
I’m also thinking of another constituent, Lonnie Kilpatrick, the namesake of legislation I authored (HR 3668) to extend the presumption of Agent Orange exposure to those who served in Guam. This important provision was included as part of the PACT Act. Lonnie spent years battling the VA to prove his service-connected Agent Orange exposure because his records were sealed by the Department of Defense (DOD). After my personal intervention in Lonnie’s case, the DOD was able to confirm his exposure to the VA. Subsequently, the VA approved his retroactive disability claim just days before Lonnie succumbed to his illnesses. Lonnie died knowing that his family would have access to those financial resources. However, he implored me to make sure his fellow Veterans didn’t have to face similar fights when trying to access the benefits they earned. May Lauren and Lonnie’s service and sacrifice never be forgotten, and because of their advocacy, may other Veterans be spared from having to endure the same hardships they faced upon returning home from the battlefield.
We’ve also made progress on another critical bill to help Veterans. Pursuant to House Rules, last month I filed a petition to have my Major Richard Star Act placed on the House Consent Calendar because it reached the required threshold of garnering at least 290 cosponsors. This critical legislation will rectify an injustice that keeps combat disabled Veterans from receiving full military benefits. Currently, over 50,000 medically retired veterans are forbidden from receiving their full retirement pay and disability compensation. My bill will repeal this unfair offset, allowing these disabled Veterans to receive both their retirement pay and their disability compensation. Click here to learn more. I look forward to getting this bill across the finish line and will continue to fight for the remaining Veterans who are still being unjustly penalized by the issue of concurrent receipt!
Again, I want to thank you for your service and sacrifice. You can be assured that I will continue to fight on your behalf as I know that we still have a long way to go to ensure all Veterans have access to the care and benefits they’ve earned. Also, I want to remind you of our outstanding constituent casework team. If you or a Veteran you know are having problems with a federal agency, please reach out to my office so we can try to help. |
