The Senate advanced a bill that will lead to expanded health care for veterans suffering from burn pit and Agent Orange exposure.
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act was negotiated by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who is a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. She has earned a reputation for her commitment to supporting veterans across the country.
“Over decades of conflict, millions of American service members have been exposed to burn pits and other toxic materials,” Hirono said in a press release from her office. “These men and women risked their lives in service to our nation, and we have a duty to ensure they get care for conditions caused by these toxic exposures. For months, my colleagues and I on the Veterans Affairs Committee worked to craft a bill that meets our duty to these veterans, and I’m glad that we are closer than ever to seeing it signed into law.”
The bipartisan legislation is named after SFC Heath Robinson, who served in Kosovo and Iraq with the Ohio National Guard, according to the press release. He died in 2020 from toxic exposure as a result of his military service.
The bill must be advanced by the House before going to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. A previous version of the bill advanced in the House with bipartisan support earlier this year, the press release noted.
“This moment would not have been possible without all of the veterans and their loved ones who have shared their stories and advocated for these long-overdue changes,” Hirono said. “I thank them for their service and bravery, and I look forward to this bill being signed into law on their behalf. I’ll continue working to help make sure every veteran in Hawaii and across our country has access to high-quality care through the VA [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs].”
Features of the bill include expanding VA health care eligibility for approximately 3.5 million post-9/11 combat veterans; adding 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to the VA’s list of service presumptions, including hypertension; expanding presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure; strengthening federal research on toxic exposure; and improving resources and training for toxic-exposed veterans, according to the press release.
Biden recently signed into law a bill introduced by Hirono to name a new VA health clinic under construction on Oahu after the late Sen. Daniel Akaka.