ICYMI: Baldwin Marks Two-Year Anniversary of PACT Act with Veterans in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined local veterans in Milwaukee ahead of the two-year anniversary of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 being signed into law, Baldwin-back legislation that delivered hundreds of thousands of toxic-exposed veterans their earned health care and benefits under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

“Our veterans and their families have sacrificed so much to serve our country, and it’s our duty to ensure they receive the care and support they have earned when they come home. For too long, we came up short on our end of that bargain,” said Senator Baldwin. “Almost two years ago, I was proud to support the PACT Act to right this wrong and finally deliver health care to the millions of veterans who were denied their earned benefits. Today in Milwaukee, we celebrated the difference this bipartisan bill is making every day, connecting veterans with the care they need and deserve.”

August 10^th marks the second anniversary of the Baldwin-backed PACT Act becoming law. In the two years since becoming law, more than one million PACT Act-related claims have been granted, and nearly 17,000 veterans in Wisconsin are now receiving their earned benefits.

The PACT Act expanded VA health care eligibility to post-9/11 combat veterans, many of whom were exposed to open-air burn pits that were used throughout the 1990s and the post-9/11 wars to burn garbage, jet fuel, and other materials. Veterans diagnosed with cancer, respiratory issues, and lung disease at young ages have blamed exposure to the toxic fumes from these pits, but the Department of Veterans Affairs contended for years that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support their claims. With the passage of the PACT Act, more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans are now eligible for expanded VA benefits.

###