Mary Alice Reporting – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is continuing to make stops in Ohio, holding roundtable discussions about the PACT Act of 2022.
The legislation, Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics, was signed into law last year and relates to new health care and disability benefits for veterans.
Brown explains this is specifically for the men and women who were harmed by toxic exposure while serving in the military.
“As many as 3.5 million service members in this country were potentially exposed to toxic smoke. Time is running out for these veterans. For years we’ve worked to highlight this long ignored issue and the hurdles veterans face after exposure.”
Brown is scheduled to stop at the New Phila VFW Post 1445 for a roundtable on May 24th, from 12:30pm to 2pm. The discussion will be limited to the first 40 people.
Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange, burn pit toxins, or contaminated water are encouraged to attend.
“Service members put their lives, their health on the line to keep us safe. Even those who come home can face long term health risk from their service. Too often we’ve not provided veterans the care and the benefits they’ve earned and deserve, particularly those exposed to toxic substances while in uniform.”
The legislation is named in honor of Heath Robinson, a Central Ohio veteran who served with the states National Guard. He died in 2020 from cancer after exposure to burn pits during his military service deployment to Kosovo and Iraq.
Additional details about the PACT Act, signed into law in August 2022, can be found at www.brown.senate.gov.
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