Representative Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., heads a new amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that is designed to scale back the risks of exposure to toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS. PFAS have been linked to several types of cancer and have contaminated at least 328 U.S. military installations according to the Environmental Working Group. The amendment proposed by Dingell would require the Environmental Protection Agency to list PFAS chemicals, including those found in firefighting…

Last week, Army veteran and advocate Kris Goldsmith told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that that failure of the VA to help veterans with bad-paper discharges is “deadly serious.” Bad-paper discharges refers to veterans who received less-than-honorable discharges and have as a result been denied access to critical benefits. Currently, there are nearly 500,000 veterans with bad-paper discharges, 125,000 of which, from the post-9/11 era. Out of these veterans, only 35,000 have applied for the VA…

Sen. Chuck Schumer has claimed “broad bipartisan support” for his plan to extend Veterans Affairs disability benefits to more Agent Orange-linked diseases. On Tuesday, July 6th, he stated that he would be including the new coverage as an amendment to the annual defense spending bill that is working its way through Congress. “We’re here to unveil a national plan. We’re about to win this fight,” Schumer said. “The plan … will expand the list of…

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis spoke last week on the dangers of burn puts at military sites, specifically sites designed for the open-air combustion of waste. In a discussion with the Washington Post, Tillis advocated for further attention and support when it comes to veterans who have been exposed to toxic conditions. In a comparison to Vietnam, Tillis noted that it took decades to get support for those veterans, a problem that he says is…

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation in March, the VA was still instructing veterans to report to mandatory physical exams when in many cases, this would have put them at risk as the coronavirus crisis worsened in cities across the United States. It was not until April 3rd that the VA ordered in-person benefits exams be cancelled due to health risks because of the pandemic. At that time, the VA website stated that “We…

For decades, service representatives across the country such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars have been fighting for fair benefits for veterans. The Veterans of Foreign Wars employs over 300 representatives across the country that review benefits decisions for accuracy before the decisions are finalized and passed along to veterans. Last week, Paul Lawrence, the VA undersecretary of benefits, announced that these reviews would no longer happen, effective by the end of April. Understandably, the…

A federal court ruling declined to lift a delay on Blue Water Navy disability claims imposed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Claims processing is expected to begin January 1st, 2020. In total, the delay has affected over 400,000 veterans or surviving members who could be eligible. Agent Orange is a herbicide and defoliant chemical that is used as part of the U.S. Military’s chemical warfare program. It was used from 1962 to 1975 during…