After Getting Verbal Lashing From Comic-Turned-Activist Jon Stewart, Senate Passes Veterans Burn Pit Laws 86-11

The Senate handed the Promise to Handle Complete Toxics (PACT) Act 86 – 11. The laws expands healthcare advantages for veterans affected by numerous illnesses related to burn pit publicity.

It was broadly believed that the PACT Act would cross the Senate with out incident. Nonetheless, that proved improper final week when a big group of Republicans reversed their unique place on the laws. The declare: Democrats had modified the unique language reviewed earlier this summer season.

The reversal brought on fairly the kerfuffle on the Capitol constructing, with comedian-turned-veteran advocate Jon Stewart on the heart. He had some sturdy phrases for the flip-flopped Republicans. With celebrities selecting ridiculous pet tasks to face behind, it’s good to see one sticking up for veterans. 

Jon Stewart instantly after passage of the PACT act: “It feels good. Shouldn’t have been this tough.” pic.twitter.com/k8nr3ECkpl

— Alan He (@alanhe) August 3, 2022

America First, or America F**ked?

Jon Stewart has been an ardent supporter of veterans’ points for a few years. This specific challenge over look after burn pit-related situations for veterans is one he’s been championing for fairly a while. For these unfamiliar, burn pits have been simply as they sound; holes stuffed with plastic water bottles, styrofoam, batteries, paint cans, tires, and even ammunition.

Many people needed to work these burn pits, and I even slept in a tent subsequent to at least one for 9 months. As you possibly can think about, that type of smoke respiratory out and in isn’t good on your well being.

Proximity to those burn pits has been linked to numerous respiratory diseases and cancers. However sadly, till now, the Veterans Administration (VA) didn’t contemplate publicity to toxins as service associated.

So what does that imply for veterans affected by debilitating respiratory diseases or terminal cancers? It means that they had a excessive likelihood of their VA claims being denied to the tune of 75% of claims associated to burn pits getting the denial stamp.

When he heard that Republicans had modified their minds on the invoice final week, Mr. Stewart gave them an earful:

“America’s heroes, who fought our wars, exterior sweating their asses off, with oxygen battling every kind of illnesses, whereas these motherf**kers sit within the air-con walled off from any of it? They don’t have to listen to it. They don’t should see it. They don’t have to know that these are human beings.”

He ended his scolding with this dagger:

“And if that is America first, then America is f**ked.”

So why the change by Republicans?

We’ll by no means have the ability to repay the debt we owe to those that have worn the uniform, however as we speak, Congress delivered on a promise to our veterans and their households.

The PACT Act would be the largest enlargement of VA well being care in a long time. We should always all take pleasure on this second. pic.twitter.com/l72HcsNJLw

— President Biden (@POTUS) August 3, 2022

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Did Something Change?

The argument many Republicans who modified their thoughts final week gave was that the Democrats had modified the laws’s unique wording. Are they talking the reality?

Probably not. The wording within the laws wasn’t modified aside from a piece unrelated to serving to veterans with burn pit afflictions being eliminated.

So once more, what was the issue? Maybe it’s greatest to ask Pennsylvania Republican Senator Pat Toomey, who, in all equity, was in opposition to the invoice prior for a similar motive he states now. 

Senator Toomey’s argument then and now’s that an accounting categorization within the invoice would:

“…permit our Democratic colleagues to go on an unrelated $400 billion spending spree.”

When requested to elaborate, he clumsily said:

“That is why they do that kind of factor. As a result of it will get very deep within the weeds and really complicated for individuals in a short time. It’s probably not about veteran spending it’s about what class of presidency bookkeeping they put the veteran spending in.”

Why he didn’t simply clarify the accounting precept he didn’t like within the invoice is past me. However, whereas authorities accounting is about as fascinating as watching paint dry, the idea he’s referring to isn’t that tough to clarify; I’ll lay it out for you.

Ted Cruz voted for the PACT Act in June.

Then Ted Cruz voted to filibuster the PACT Act in July.

Then Ted Cruz voted for the PACT Act as we speak.

The textual content of the invoice was the identical each time.

— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) August 3, 2022

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An Problem of Governmental Accounting

The $400 billion Senator Toomey refers to was initially discretionary funding however was modified to necessary funding. The distinction between the 2 is comparatively easy.

Discretionary funding is about by Congress and may be modified at any time. So if a program doesn’t seem to want as a lot cash because it did the yr prior, Congress can modify the funding to higher match this system’s wants.

Necessary funding has predetermined quantities which can be set by regulation, requiring an act of Congress to alter. So the worry that Mr. Toomey and others like Senator Ted Cruz from Texas have is that if later it seems the VA doesn’t want all this cash to assist veterans with burn pit illnesses, it is going to be utilized in different methods with out oversight from Congress.

To be honest, I feel it is a legitimate level. Nonetheless, some on the opposite aspect imagine that some Republicans have been merely lashing out over one other invoice. 

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut mentioned:

“The much less charitable rationalization is that this: Republicans are mad that Democrats are on the verge of passing local weather change laws and have determined to take out their anger on weak veterans.”

Laborious to say for certain if Mr. Murphy is appropriate on the correlation to the local weather change laws. But it surely wouldn’t shock me that lawmakers use veterans as political pawns.

Vets and survivors have already waited too lengthy for the well being care and advantages they’ve earned—the Senate shouldn’t make them wait a second longer.

They have to cross the PACT Act now.

— Workplace of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (@SecVetAffairs) July 29, 2022

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A Win for Veterans?

With the PACT Act lastly passing this Tuesday, veterans are hoping to get the care they deserve. Nonetheless, these of us who’ve handled the VA stay skeptical.

At the moment, the VA has 595,862 total claims pending. Of these, 164,743 are thought of backlogged as a result of they’ve been pending for over 125 days. 

It’s estimated passage of this invoice will add 1000’s extra claims through the years since about 3.5 million of us have been subjected to burn pit publicity. VA Secretary Denis McDonough promised:

“As soon as the president indicators this invoice into regulation, we on the VA will implement it shortly and successfully, delivering the care these veterans want and the advantages they deserve.”

With controversy nonetheless surrounding the VA over programs that don’t work, a clinic worker in Georgia beating a 73-year-old veteran, and a Florida VA clinic delaying care to a veteran with coronary heart failure, I wouldn’t maintain my breath over these new provisions offering reduction anytime quickly. 

Jon Stewart mentioned after the invoice lastly handed:

“I’m undecided I’ve ever seen this case the place individuals who have already given a lot needed to combat so onerous to get so little.”

Sadly, that’s what these of us who served are used to. “Assist the troops” is a cliche typically used to purchase votes and look good on marketing campaign images. 

As somebody with many burn pit letters in my army medical information, I hope we sometime get the help we deserve.