FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2022
August 10, 2022
Contact:
Brittany Holder
202-297-7244
[email protected]
Largest Federal Employee Union Celebrates Signing of PACT Act into Law
Categories:
VA
New law expands Veterans Affairs (VA) health care benefits to an estimated 3.5 million veterans
WASHINGTON – Today, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFL-CIO National President Everett Kelley is at the White House to celebrate President Biden signing the bipartisan Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act into law.
“As a veteran myself, this issue is personal to me,” said Kelley, “On behalf of the 700,000 federal and D.C. government employees we represent, a third of whom are veterans, I commend President Biden and the bipartisan group of lawmakers who voted for this legislation for fulfilling our nation’s promise to our veterans.”
The law includes AFGE-backed provisions that will:
- Expand Veterans Affairs (VA) health care for an estimated 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to toxic substances while in service.
- Authorize funding for 31 new medical facilities in 19 different states.
- Provide an automatic presumption of service connection for veterans who have served in specified locations during specific time periods, which allows VBA claims processors to service veterans more efficiently and expeditiously.
- Provide education and training to VA healthcare professionals to identify, treat, and assess the impact on veterans of illnesses related to toxic exposures.
- Provide specialized training to Veterans Benefits Administration claims processors on how to process new claims authorized under this bill.
- Require the Secretary report to Congress on how the VA is addressing increased demand for VA health care.
“Our union celebrates the signing of the PACT Act, even as the 283,000 VA employees we represent look forward to caring for the heroes who have been left without critical medical assistance for far too long,” said Alma Lee, President of AFGE National VA Council “AFGE health care professionals and claims processors look forward to providing these veterans the high-quality care they deserve, and we thank President Biden and Congress for making this investment in the VA.”
###
For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center.
Follow us on:
