We asked veterans’ advocates like you to contact your U.S. Representatives and Senators to demand Congress pass H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. On Wednesday, we accomplished this goal when the Senate unanimously passed H.R. 299.
Our voices were heard, and the bill awaits the president’s signature! THANK YOU.
Once signed into law, H.R. 299 will provide VA benefits to thousands of Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans who had their disability compensation taken away by arbitrary regulatory changes. The bill expands benefits to veterans exposed to Agent Orange while serving along the Korean DMZ by having an earlier start date to encompass the timeframe when various defoliants were tested — to September 1, 1967, instead of April 1, 1968. Benefits will also expand to children born with spina bifida due to their parents’ exposure to Agent Orange in Thailand. The new law will also require VA to report on research being conducted on a broad range of conditions related to service in Southwest Asia.
Grassroots advocacy is key in the fight for the benefits that veterans have earned and deserve. Stay tuned to the Action Corps Weekly for more critical updates on this important bill, and to remain steadfast in the fight for veterans.