(CNN)On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced medical benefits for millions ofveterans exposed to poisoning. signed a bill to expand the Burn pit during military service.
This bill is a major bipartisan win for Congress and addresses the president's personal issues. Biden said he believes there may have been a link between the brain tumor that killed his 46-year-old son Beau Biden and the burns Beau suffered during his military service.
Burn pits were commonly used by military installations in Iraq and Afghanistan to burn waste such as garbage, munitions, hazardous materials and chemical compounds until about 2010. rice field. Burn pits, which often operated on or near military bases, released dangerous toxins into the air that, upon exposure, could have caused short-term and long-term health conditions, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Noxious fumes, thick poisons spread through the air, into the lungs of our troops we sent to war52}, the same Headaches, numbness, dizziness, cancer.My son Beau was one of them,” said Biden. An Iraq War veteran, he served as Delaware's Attorney General and died of brain cancer in 2015.
The bill adds conditions related to burns and exposure to toxic substances. It will be added to the VA's list of ailments developed or exacerbated during military service, including hypertension, removing the burden on veterans to prove that toxic exposure caused these conditions. Up to 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances can be targeted.
"I was going to go through with this," said Biden, calling the law "the most important law our country has ever passed, and it's exposed to toxic substances." It will help millions of veterans." military service.
The President said, ``We have many duties, but there is but one truly sacred duty: to equip those in danger and to help them when they return home. It's about taking care of them and their families.”
Biden was introduced Wednesday by Danielle Robinson, wife of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, who is named in law. By her side was her daughter Brielle Robinson. Danielle Robinson was the guest of First Lady Jill Biden at Biden's State of the Union address, calling on Congress to pass the Burnpit Bill. For people, if not everyone, it's personal.It's personal for many people like Daniel and Brielle.Sergeant 1st Class Heath Robinson, only 39.. Finally his I was 39 when I held hands," Biden said.
Biden thanked comedian and political activist Jon Stewart.
"You refused to make someone forget. And we owe you a great debt.We owe you a great debt," said Biden.
Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonagh, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas were scheduled to attend the bill signing at the White House.
The White House has hailed the legislation, known as the PACT Act, as the most significant expansion of benefits and services to veterans exposed to poisons for over 30 years.
A bipartisan bill passed Congress last week. Republicans had previously backed the bill, but temporarily blocked it while they tried to add cost-saving amendments to the package. The Republican surprise move sparked a rapid backlash among veterans and groups of veterans, with supporters of the measure protesting on the steps of the United States Capitol for days. }
