Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2022

Mr. President, today I want to speak about a piece of bipartisan legislation that Chairman Tester and I introduced with the unanimous support of every member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, both Republicans and Democrats.

Consensus is often hard to find, as we know, in this body, but caring for our Nation's veterans--our heroes--has a way of bringing us together. I tell Kansans back home that the Senate on veterans affairs is one of the few places left on which Republicans and Democrats find common ground. I hope that continues, and I hope that spreads.

Caring for our Nation's veterans is an honor that we all have, and when you reach an agreement between some of the most liberal members of our committee and the most conservative members of our committee, you know that you have a really good deal.

I first learned about the issue of toxic exposure years ago, while attending an event for Vietnam veterans at home in Kansas. After hearing about their struggles with exposure to Agent Orange, I introduced the Toxic Exposure Research Act, which was signed into law in 2016 and mandates research on health conditions of children and grandchildren of veterans who were exposed to toxins during their military service.

Our military veterans and their families and their survivors know exposure to toxic substances has become commonplace in modern warfare. Regrettably, the negative long-term health effects are sometimes not identified until long after the time of exposure, leaving veterans to face serious medical issues years after their service.

Toxic exposure during military service has created significant healthcare concerns for veterans, going back to mustard gas exposure in World War I and, most notably, the Vietnam generation's exposure to Agent Orange.

Despite these clear examples of lasting impact of military toxic exposures, struggles with health conditions associated with burn pits continue to plague the latest generation of veterans who served in the Global War on Terror.

I have spoken with veterans across Kansas and held a townhall meeting in my home State on the effects of toxic exposure on our veterans' health. My office continues to receive casework

from veterans regarding the burden of proof to gain access to healthcare. This legislation--the one that our committee will consider tomorrow--lessens that burden and creates a pathway for thousands of Kansas veterans and many more thousands of American veterans to receive healthcare for illnesses caused by toxic exposure.

For decades, toxic-exposed veterans have faced overwhelming barriers to getting VA healthcare and the services that they deserve. Post-911 veterans are the newest generation of American heroes to suffer from toxic exposures encountered in their military service.

These American heroes who put on the uniform and volunteered to go into harm's way on our behalf deserve to have their level of commitment matched by those of us who serve here in Congress. When our government sends troops to war, we make a pledge to care for them when they come home. Veterans who are made sick from service deserve medical care for those conditions.

The Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act is an important first step in making certain our veterans receive the care they need as a result of their service.

I appreciate the entire Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee for working together to craft this consequential legislation to care for our servicemembers who put their lives and health on the line for us. I also appreciate every member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee--Senators Tillis, Hassan, Sullivan, Manchin, Boozman, Sanders, Cassidy, Brown, Blackburn, Blumenthal, Tuberville, Hirono, Cramer, Sinema, and Rounds--for working together to better the lives of those who have served. Additionally, I am grateful for the support of many VSOs--veterans service organizations--that represent millions of veterans across the Nation.

This legislation is part of a comprehensive and phased approach. This first phase provides the VA with the authority it needs to expand healthcare for combat veterans. For many who are sick and suffering, time is running out, and our first priority is to get these veterans their healthcare now.

Our bill would also mandate training for the VA healthcare providers and benefit specialists to ensure a level of competence across the Department to make sure veterans receive exemplary treatment and service.

Our legislation would direct the VA to incorporate a clinical screening to inquire about a veteran's potential exposures and symptoms commonly associated with toxic exposure.

I talked to a veteran today who said she has been to the VA twice for care and treatment and has never been asked about whether she encountered any substance that could have been damaging to her health during her service. After speaking with these veterans, I have come to understand that this basic and preventive act of screening is not part of enrollment or basic care provided by the Department. That must change.

Solutions to this complex problem cannot be generated by Congress alone and require a coordinated and systematic approach that involves partnering with the VA. My view is that we make a commitment to those who serve that we will do our work. This is a significant step in getting us to a point at which we are living up to that commitment and doing it in a way that is not damaging to any other veteran.

I urge my colleagues to read our bill, to grow their understanding of this complex challenge, and to join our committee, every single member of the committee, in passing this bill to get one step closer to providing care and relief on one of the most pressing challenges facing veterans today.