What's the PACT Act? Jon Stewart, Ted Cruz feud over bill to aid veterans exposed to toxic burn pits

In an unanticipated shift, 41 Republican senators past week blocked what was seemingly a bipartisan invoice increasing wellbeing care gains for veterans uncovered to harmful melt away pits very last Wednesday.

The bill, named the PACT Act, is built to provide overall health care rewards for veterans who were being exposed to burn pits all through deployment – open up-air trash internet sites that disposed of armed forces waste by way of burning.

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Comedian and former host of the “Daily Show” Jon Stewart has been a fervent advocate for the invoice, now feuding with Republican senators that voted towards the invoice.

“I’m applied to the lies. I am employed to the hypocrisy,” claimed Stewart, commenting on Senate Republicans at a Capitol Hill press convention final Thursday. “I’m used to the cowardice. I’ve been right here a long time. Senate’s where accountability goes to die.(Republicans) don’t treatment. They’re hardly ever getting rid of their work opportunities, they are by no means losing their health care.”

The invoice beforehand passed the Senate by a vote of 84-14 on June 16, but was sent back again final month after the Home resolved a technical concern in the monthly bill and handed the monthly bill a 2nd time.

What does the PACT Act do?

Veterans, military services family members associates and advocates are joined by activist Jon Stewart as they contact for Senate Republicans to modify their votes on a invoice developed to assist hundreds of thousands of veterans exposed to harmful substances for the duration of their armed forces assistance, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Aug. 1, 2021.

The PACT Act would increase eligibility for veterans uncovered to melt away pits. Presently, there is no crystal clear proof straight linking burn up pits with respiratory health issues and cancer.

As a outcome, veterans have to advocate for themselves to get health care rewards, but are typically turned down for the reason that of a lack of proof linking the two.

Whilst investigation is currently underway to identify if there is a direct relation, the monthly bill would codify specified respiratory health problems and cancers as similar to burn up pits, lifting the burden of evidence on veterans to acquire benefits.

An Afghan National Army pickup truck passes parked U.S. armored military vehicles, as smoke rises from a fire in a trash burn pit at Forward Operating Base Caferetta Nawzad, Helmand province south of Kabul, Afghanistan, April 28, 2011. — An Afghan National Army pickup truck passes parked U.S. armored military services vehicles, as smoke rises from a fireplace in a trash melt away pit at Ahead Running Foundation Caferetta Nawzad, Helmand province south of Kabul, Afghanistan, April 28, 2011.

What are the particulars of the PACT Act?

The monthly bill would codify 23 diverse respiratory ailments and cancers as joined to harmful burn pits.

All veterans also would receive a poisonous exposure screening at Veterans Affairs (VA) professional medical appointments and build 31 new VA overall health treatment clinics throughout 19 states. The invoice also would expand teaching and education on harmful publicity in veterans.

It is believed to price $280 billion in excess of the subsequent 10 years.

How lots of veterans would the PACT Act impact?

The bill would broaden eligibility for gains for an believed 3.5 million veterans who have been uncovered to burn pits, according to the Office of Defense.

What are men and women declaring?

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a single of the 41 Republicans who voted towards the bill, claimed “The Democrats played a budgetary trick, which is they took $400 billion in discretionary shelling out, and they shifted it to required.” Cruz, who voted for the bill initially, claimed that the monthly bill would have authorized $400 billion in unrelated paying out.
Stewart responded to Cruz, stating on NBC’s “Meet the Push, “That’s just a term salad that he’s spewing into his coffee cup on his way to God is familiar with exactly where. As veterans sit in Washington, D.C. in the sweltering warmth demanding that they go this laws that they’ve been combating for for 15 years.”
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks for the duration of the The united states Initially Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis lodge July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.

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Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., another Republican who voted in opposition to the monthly bill, echoed Cruz’s claims and defended his place, calling out “pseudo-celebrities” who “make up bogus accusations,” alluding to Stewart.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a single of the bills strongest supporters, said on the Senate flooring after the monthly bill unsuccessful passage: “Let’s get veterans the well being care they have attained. If it is just not, it’s political malpractice,”