House Passes Legislation to Extend “PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE” to Vietnam Veterans
In what appears to be a public cacophony of back-slapping and self-aggrandized adulation, people are to have “PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE” to Agent Orange even in the face of evidence that they were never exposed.
Today, Chairman Mark Takano (D-Cali.) and Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) released the following statements after the House passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019,H.R. 299. The bill unanimously passed the House, 410 – 0.
“I am so proud to say the House has finally passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act,” said Chairman Takano. “For more than forty years, tens of thousands of veterans, their families, and survivors have been denied the benefits they earned after exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. But by passing this bill tonight, we came together to right a terrible injustice. It has been a long, hard fought battle, but thanks to bipartisan efforts led by Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe and myself, our Veteran Service Organizations, and countless veteran voices and family members, we have done our part to finally get justice for these veterans. I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues to ensure we can finally make this right for our Blue Water Navy veterans and ask Leader McConnell to bring this bill to the floor swiftly– these veterans have waited long enough.
“I applaud the House’s passage of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act,” said Ranking Member Dr. Roe. “This bill will ensure that our Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans receive the long overdue benefits that they earned. Last Congress, while I was Chairman of the Committee, the House unanimously passed nearly identical legislation. Unfortunately, despite the steadfast efforts of Chairman Isakson and Ranking Member Tester, that bill stalled in the Senate. I want to thank Chairman Takano for reintroducing this bill and working with me to ensure it remains a priority. I look forward to continuing our efforts to advocate for this bill with our Senate colleagues and, ultimately, send it to President Trump’s desk so that we can finally deliver on the promises made to these well-deserving veterans.”
Background:
The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 will extend benefits to servicemembers that served in the territorial waters off the coast of Vietnam and were exposed to Agent Orange. This was the first bill Chairman Takano introduced this Congress after a similar bill was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives last Congress but stalled in the Senate. This legislation will ensure tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans finally get the benefits they’ve earned and deserve.
We should be taking care of veterans that were exposed. I am positive that there probably were a few people on ships exposed to agent orange. Saying that every veteran who came close to the coastal waters of Vietnam was exposed is nonsense.
With this kind of thinking people like little Jimmy Janos will be presumed exposed to…some kind of this or that.
Let’s just give every military member free health care for life, a disabled license plate and a puppy when they get discharged.
Category: Exploitation, Health Care debate, Veteran Health Care, Veterans Issues
Hey, I served with many Vietnam Veterans – including a couple of my Platoon Sergeants, at least one First Sergeant, and numerous other NCOs. Do I get to claim “presumptive exposure” due to proximiny to them?
I hope the sarcasm above is obvious.
Agree fully, DH. Anyone who can document probable exposure deserves care. I can even accept presumptive exposure for those who served a tour in-country, since the stuff was pretty widely used. But as I reall, Yankee and Dixie Stations were each more than 100km offshore.
This is little more than a “feel good” gesture for which the American taxpayer will pick up the bill.
I agree. I spent about four days moving through a heavily defoliated area, so I know I was exposed. But except for neuropathy in my feet, I have had no long term effects. It defies logic to say someone on the New Jersey was exposed.
I was in Alaska during the end of the Vietnam War. I am certain that I got it from the Gulf of Alaska currents that came right up the coast of Vietnam so I should get it.
Not to mention that almost all our nco’s were Vietnam Veterans and some were decorated real heroes !!!
So I should get double !!!!
Then there’s the snow at Crystal Mountain where I taught skiing and I know that the Army used it on the areas that were taught skiing in !!!
There were no trees in those areas and there were trees everywhere else !!!
I’m going for TRIPLE DAMAGE !!!!!
Hondo, the irony is that even if you can document your exposure you may still have a fight on your hands with the VA.
As you know, I had cancer of the throat, a tumor below the back of my tongue. The VA recognizes cancers occurring in the airway from the lungs up to the larynx. While I could document numerous on the ground infantry activity, including drinking water from rivers, streams and canals, in areas recently defoliated, my cancer was not included in those approved for coverage because it was sited in the pharynx, which is just a couple of inches above the anatomical area recognized by VA.
I did research and discovered that other veterans with my same cancer had fought the VA and while a couple had won their appeals, most had lost. After consulting an attorney who handles VA appeals, I decided I was too damned old and too damned tired to spend the rest of my life in a legal battle with the government with the likelihood of losing while incurring thousands of dollars in legal costs.
It’s pissing, but as we all know, that’s the way things are when you’re dealing with a massive federal bureaucracy.
Will this bill ensure coverage for the submariners off the coast who were exposed when they were snorkeling their diesels? /s/
I agree that we need to take care of legitimate claims of health problems, but me thinks this too broad of a brush to paint with. Kinda like all Vets are homeless druggies.
Do we get to choose our puppy or will Claw issue using standard FSNs? Can it be a foot long chili cheese dog or do we have to settle for the Krystal Corn pups? Fries with that and a chocolate shake? Onion rings?
Nope, you don’t get to choose your puppy. You’ll take what the Supply Sergeant issues to you and you’ll like it!!/smile
FSN for puppy is: 8820-935-6677 Dog, Animal (Untrained Military Working Canine)
If I open my shirt and I have Kuato from “Total Recall” start talking, do I get Presumption of Exposure?”
Is that AOC’s speech righter?
Looks like her boyfriend though….
Never realized how much that looks like George Soros.
What kind of puppy? I’d rather have a horse.
Puppies are too much work. Got any senior dogs that keep getting passed up at the rescue center? I’ll take one of those instead.
(full disclosure, I was 4 or 5 years old when Vietnam ended, so this is definitely sarcasm. But I would rather choose a senior dog and give them a happy however much life they have left.)
change that to read “so the above is definitely sarcasm”
Not enough coffee yet in the central processing unit.
Carry on.
Senior dogs, like Senior Chiefs, are the best. After final ex wife # 3, for awhile, the more I learned about women, the better I loved my dogs. Due to my ongoing medical issues I’m down to only 2 rescued K9s now. A middle aged hound mix that just adores her Papa and an abandoned “parti poodle” that’s as laid back as a Georgia August Day is hot and long. 3 rescued felines for yard rodent control and help baby sister look after the 5 rescued K9s she has. Pittie, Shepard, Chow Chow, Snoodle, and Mutt. Do yourself and an old dog a favor. Go rescue some, you won’t regret it…Neither will they.
Go volunteer to train the rescue dogs in basic obedience. That will help them get better homes and more PERMANENT homes.
I lost my really cool Kitty Puss, “Triton” about 3 months ago, he was a really cool cat too so I really miss him.
I went and got another cat, she’s 14 years old and really grouchy, but little by little we’re getting along better. We have had some issues, but they are working themselves out too.
She had been in the shelter since July of last year so it was a real stretch for her.
But, I think we’ll get along OK.
She and my Senior Doggie, Peenutt is 12 now so like me we are both reaching the end of our adventures.
Rescues make the best pets, most are just happy to be alive and very grateful for the chance.
I agree with the volunteer comment too. It always helps you to help them out.
If you can even spell Vietnam you are eligible for compensation. No service? no problem.
Homeless? not to worry, we have you covered.
Turned down in the past? We have lawers standing by to take your call.
ED problems? We can get you the medication with just a simple phone consultation.
I’m glad they passed the bill but I think it should have been narrowed down considerably, I see much bullshit coming out of it. I have met several vets who brag about their Vietnam service and multiple tours but were never close enough to land to even see the mountains, they will be among the first in line to get their claim in. There were also ships that operated in close proximity to the shore and I feel the men on them should be given the benefit of the doubt, but there needs to be a boundary somewhere. I guess it is like the Mexican border, open.
“Brownwater” Navy in Vietnam was already eligible, as was a rather lengthy list of other ships.
https://www.va.gov/shiplist-agent-orange.pdf
Best scientific evidence I’m aware of is that ships operating a few miles offshore or farther received zero exposure. And note that the list linked above includes a fair number of ships whose sole reason for eligibility is that the ship “entered [insert name here] bay” on a single day or made a single port visit to the RVN.
This is simply a case of Congress wanting to “look good” and not giving a damn about the fact that the US taxpayer will have to pay the bill.
Thanks Hondo, i knew that Brown Water Navy was eligible but I was unaware that a list of the other ships already existed. Congress look good, c’mon, too late for that.
Folks, the real problem is places like Ft Chaffee, AR, the former JRTC, where they first tested Agent Orange and a number of other Agents to include Agent Pink. And after testing, continued to use it on Post until the late 70’s or early 80’s according to witness statements. How many went through there over the years. The Feds and the VA only admitted to Agent Orange use there in 2014. How many other Posts were Agent Orange or other agents like it used on, and the Feds are not telling us?
All the information on Chaffee is public domain now, very easy to find doing a simple Google search. Try it you might have your eyes opened.
They also used Agent Orange to knock down weeds on Minuteman missile sites back in the day. CE on site used to have water gun fights with the spray tanks. Prove it? HAHAHA…
Shipped to Vietnam through Okinawa also.
https://features.japantimes.co.jp/agent-orange-in-okinawa/
PBR STREETGANG unavailable for comment.
I like puppies.
Good for the House on passing this legislation. I suspect that the CBO ran the numbers, and given the Viet Nam vets still alive, the House determined that they could afford the potential cost that may come about from the legislation.
Now I wish the congress could come up with some sort of legislation that would compensate me for the bald spot on my head that developed from wearing a steel pot over my 20 year Army career. All the hair on the top of my head is gone, sides are ok (but gray). Had to be caused by the steel pot.
Bercocksuckernath claimed to have been exposed to agent orange on the Yorktown. I just cringe that other pieces of shit like him will game the system as well.