Senate Passes Bill Benefiting Veterans Exposed To Toxic Burn Pits—With Overwhelming GOP Support

Topline

The Senate gave final approval to a bill Tuesday that expands health care benefits for veterans who became sick after being exposed to toxic burn pits, with dozens of Republican senators voting in support following outrage over the GOP torpedoing the bill in a vote last week.

Key Facts

The bill, called the PACT Act, passed in a 86-11 vote, with Republicans making up all the “no” votes.

The legislation failed to overcome the filibuster in a 55-42 vote Wednesday, after numerous Republicans objected to a “budgetary gimmick” Democrats included in a House-passed version of the bill that would have exempted $400 billion in Department of Veterans Affairs spending from appropriations processes.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday afternoon he struck a deal with Senate GOP leadership to overcome the issue, with Democrats allowing votes on three amendments introduced by Republican senators.

Key Background

Burn pits were commonly used by American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to quickly clear out waste, which often gave off toxic fumes that many veterans say led to severe health problems. The Senate passed an earlier version of the PACT Act 84-14 in June, before dozens of Republican lawmakers changed their votes last week, claiming they still supported the gist of the bill but objected to the spending measure added to the House bill. Activists blasted their reasoning, most notably comedian Jon Stewart, who made repeated public appearances in which he lambasted Republican senators.

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Further Reading

Veterans toxic exposure bill stalls in Senate (Axios)