Washington, D.C. - Sunday, Ranking Member Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) appeared on Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson to discuss his efforts to ensure that Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans receive the benefits they earned.
During the interview, Roe started by explaining what Agent Orange was and how it was used during the Vietnam War.
"If you were fighting in a jungle where there's very thick growth and you're being ambushed, you want to clear out that perimeter so that your soldiers are safe. It turned out that obviously Agent Orange, or dioxin, is a very dangerous chemical... It made sense. If it made leaves fall off trees, it probably wasn't good for humans."
He went on to explain the bill he introduced during the first few minutes of the 116th Congress, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, H.R 203. This bill is identical to H.R. 299 which was introduced in the 115th Congress by Rep. David Valado and had immense bipartisan support. It passed the House 382 - 0, but died in the Senate.
"[The bill] says this: it says if you are a veteran who served on the surface, that you will have these presumptions, the same presumptions that any other soldier, sailor, airman, marine that put their feet on the ground in Vietnam had. We're gonna treat everybody the same."
Roe explained that with his legislation there would not be an added cost of compensating Blue Water Navy Veterans, because the bill has an offset that would come from changes to the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)'s Home Loan Fees.
He concluded by urging the swift passage of legislation to bring justice to Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans who are running out of time.
"One of the things I am so concerned about is, that we're losing not just Blue Water, but all Vietnam-era veterans my age. 523 a day are dying. As I explained to my colleagues, I said, 'Look, this is a self-limiting problem. We know how many veterans there are. We're dying at a fairly rapid rate now. If you wait long enough, none of us will be around.'"
Watch the full interview here.
Background:
Agent Orange was a herbicide used during the Vietnam era that has been known to be associated with certain health issues in people who have been exposed to its chemical components. The Agent Orange Act of 1991 stipulated that if a veteran served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 and has a disease that has been associated with exposure to Agent Orange, they are automatically presumed to have been exposed and, therefore, qualify for VA disability compensation. The Blue Water Navy Veterans Act of 2019 would extend the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange to veterans who served off the shores of Vietnam. Click here for more information. Read the bill here.
