U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) on Jan. 17 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would direct the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a task force on American military veterans’ exposure to the toxic herbicide chemical Agent Orange.
“Our nation’s veterans have struggled with the side effects of Agent Orange for far too long,” said Rep. Katko. “Veterans should not be subjected to the financial burdens created by illnesses this chemical causes.”
Illnesses associated with exposure to Agent Orange — which the U.S. military used to clear plants and trees during the Vietnam War from January 1962 to May 1975 in and near Vietnam and Korea, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — include Hodgkin’s disease, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Parkinson’s disease, lung and skin cancers, and chronic B-cell leukemia.
Rep. Katko unveiled the Lawrence J. Hackett Jr. Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Fairness Act, H.R. 637, with original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), a bill named in honor of Sgt. Lawrence Hackett, a New York native and Vietnam veteran who died of cancer in 2006 at age 56.
H.R. 637 would require that the task force explore how the federal government would financially and medically provide for U.S. veterans exposed to Agent Orange, according to the congressman.
“Veterans have risked their lives in dangerous conflicts in order to defend our country,” Rep. Katko said last week. “Larry Hackett, among countless other veterans, lost their lives due to complications resulting from Agent Orange.”
And despite the impact many of the nation’s veterans and their families have experienced due to Agent Orange-related diseases and cancers, the lawmaker said they currently don’t qualify for the presumption of coverage and lack benefits.
“This bill establishes a task force to properly assess the impact of Agent Orange on our nation’s veterans, as well as hold the VA accountable for the lethal impacts of this substance,” said Rep. Katko.
If enacted, H.R. 637 would direct the task force established under the VA to conduct a comprehensive review and make recommendations on care and compensation, and also would form a national outreach campaign designed to educate veterans on the medical risks associated with Agent Orange exposure, according to Katko’s statement.
The congressman also introduced the same-named bill in February 2017 with five bipartisan cosponsors.
“I am proud to re-introduce this legislation and continue my advocacy for all those affected by Agent Orange in our district and across the country,” Rep. Katko said.
The new bill has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.