Filner: Expand care for Agent Orange exposure

[unhappycamper]

Filner: Expand care for Agent Orange exposure
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 23, 2008 21:14:47 EDT

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman vowed Wednesday to push for the restoration of Agent Orange-related benefits and health care for Vietnam War veterans who served in the air and water of Vietnam but never set foot on land.

Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., said a bill he is sponsoring, HR 6562, would provide justice for sailors and airmen who have been denied Agent Orange claims because of a Department of Veterans Affairs policy that applies a so-called “boots-on-the-ground” rule for determining eligibility.

“If you were there, we should care,” Filner said at a press conference, where he was surrounded by Vietnam veterans.

The bill, introduced Tuesday, was referred to Filner’s committee. Filner said he intends to move the bill through the committee in September.

Filner said the bill would provide justice for the thousands of Vietnam veterans who are suffering from illnesses or disease known to be related to exposure to the herbicide used to defoliate the Vietnamese jungles. It also would send a message to younger veterans, he said. “If we don’t treat our Vietnam veterans right, then our active-duty people know that,” Filner said.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_agentorange_072308w/



uhc comment: Vietnam veterans have been fighting the Veterans Administration for over 30 years about Agent Orange. I can't wait to see what they do with depleted uranium poisoning.