Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Bipartisan Agreement To Help Veterans Exposed To Toxic Burn Pits During Military Service

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the long awaited bipartisan agreement on legislation to help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during military service and stated his intention to bring the bill to the Senate floor. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

There is an important announcement this morning for our nation’s veterans. Chairman Tester and Ranking member, Jerry Moran, of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will announce a bipartisan proposal on comprehensive legislation to help millions of our nation’s veterans who struggle with sickness because of exposure to toxins during their military service, including exposure to toxic burn pits and Agent Orange.

This has for years—for years—been a top priority of mine; I have worked closely with advocates like our VSOs and Jon Stewart and John Feal to get the Senate to act on this long-neglected problem. I am happy to see that burn pits legislation has taken an important step closer to passage. And I thank Senators Tester and Moran for their good work.

I strongly support the agreement reached by Senators Tester and Moran, and is it my intention to have this on the floor of the Senate on the week that we return from the Memorial Day work period.

Our veterans—we’ll see them on Memorial Day—are very eager for this bill and I hope that veterans throughout the country will let their senators know how important this legislation is.

Our veterans need it, they deserve it, and we have a moral obligation to take care of those who have sacrificed so much for us.

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