The laws extends well being advantages to some three.5 million veterans, lots of whom say they’ve contracted most cancers, respiratory diseases and different diseases after being uncovered to harmful chemical compounds throughout their army service. One other provision of the invoice expands federal well being care protection to 23 illnesses.
“This invoice is the laws we envisioned once we got down to proper the wrongs of our veterans uncovered to poisonous substances. The PACT Act acknowledges that accountability and acknowledges the price of conflict,” stated Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.).
Democrats and veterans advocates, together with comic Jon Stewart, criticized Republicans for delaying passage of the laws late final week. The snag got here weeks after the Senate handed a virtually similar model of the invoice, and hours after Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) introduced an settlement on a local weather invoice, taxes and partisan well being care, angering Republican senators. who thought the bundle can be tighter.
So when Republicans blocked the unrelated veterans invoice shortly after that deal was introduced, Democrats had been fast to accuse them of retaliation provided that they helped cross the poisonous substances laws in an 84-14 vote in June.
Republican senators denied that was the explanation, as a substitute pointing to criticism from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who argued “finances trick” within the invoice may permit sure funds for use for applications not associated to veterans well being care. That very same language was within the invoice when it handed the Home in June.
When senators returned to DC on Monday after days of backlash, Republican leaders promised the laws would cross rapidly. However Republicans tried to minimize the delay Tuesday, at the same time as they handed the very laws that they had blocked final week.
“Look, this type of back-and-forth occurs on a regular basis within the legislative course of, you’ve got seen it over time,” Minority Chief Mitch McConnell stated. “I feel in the long run, veterans service organizations will probably be happy with the tip outcome.”
The Senate nonetheless descended into an intense blame sport for the delay. Haggling over modification votes dragged on into Tuesday as senators reviewed an intense to-do checklist they’re attempting to finish earlier than occurring a prolonged August recess.
Toomey had insisted that his modification solely required a easy majority to cross moderately than a 60-vote threshold. The Republican was nonetheless asserting that place simply hours earlier than Schumer introduced the 2 sides had reached a deal and defended his push at the same time as he lastly relented on Tuesday.
“We’re witnessing a really outdated Washington trick play out on what may very well be an unprecedented scale,” Toomey stated. “You are taking this sympathetic group, craft laws to handle their issues, after which introduce one thing that’s fully unrelated and will by no means cross by itself.”
Ultimately, Toomey’s modification failed, together with two different proposals by Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.). Paul’s would have helped foot the invoice by lowering help to different nations, and Blackburn’s would have expanded some protection in neighborhood care applications.
Republican senators who voted in opposition to the ultimate invoice included Mike Crapo (Idaho), James Lankford (Okla.), Mike Lee (Utah), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Jim Risch ( Idaho), Mitt Romney (Utah), Thom Tillis (NC), Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania), Tommy Tuberville (Ala.), and Richard Shelby (Ala.).
Biden has defended the laws and has beforehand indicated that he believes his late son, Beau, might have gotten mind most cancers from combustion pits used in the course of the Iraq Battle.
Veterans and advocates like Stewart lined the higher steps of the chamber silently watching Tuesday evening as votes on the invoice dragged on for greater than two hours. Schumer at one level checked out Stewart, who was within the third row of the gallery, and joked “we’re anticipating two individuals.” After the vote was formally handed, Stewart smiled and shook arms with these round him on digital camera, whereas a lone particular person cheered.
Lots of these supporters and veterans had camped out on Capitol Hill in latest days to demand that Republicans cross the measure instantly. Biden, who was isolating because of a constructive Covid prognosis, linked with veterans over the weekend through FaceTime and despatched them pizza.
