U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) on April 15 introduced the Veterans Agent Orange Exposure Equity Act, which would expand the presumption of exposure to the toxic Agent Orange herbicide for U.S. military veterans who served during the Vietnam War and were deployed to certain areas in Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos.
“Our veterans are heroes and deserve to be treated as such,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick, who joined bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and 11 other cosponsors to introduce H.R. 2569.
“I am proud to join Rep. Cartwright in introducing legislation that will ensure our Vietnam War veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia receive the care they deserve now, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to work across the aisle to support these men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country,” Rep. Fitzpatrick added.
H.R. 2569 would expand the presumption of exposure to toxic herbicides to certain veterans who served in the active military, naval, or air service while assigned to a duty station in close proximity to the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Fitzpatrick’s office.
Currently, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mandates that veterans who served in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos “must carry the burden of providing evidence of exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War,” according to the summary, which notes that additional VA restrictions regarding where and what military occupation a veteran must have served also disqualifies too many veterans from receiving the benefits they deserve.
“Many of those who have been exposed are living with cancers, heart disease or Parkinson’s disease,” Rep. Cartwright said. “They deserve relief for the pain and hardship this has caused for them and their families.”
H.R. 2569 has been referred to the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.