U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement Tuesday on final passage of the PACT Act, a vital piece of legislation that will provide 3.5 million veterans health care coverage for treating toxin-exposure related health injuries.

After signed into law, the PACT Act will fund health care and specialized medical treatments for veterans who’ve been exposed to toxic chemicals from burn-pits during their time of service. 

“Today, America witnessed the sheer determination and payoff of our veterans and Senate Democrats’ efforts to rally support for the final Senate passage of the PACT Act,” Sen. Luján said. “I want to thank every single veteran who made it known they would not let Senate Republicans use their health care coverage as a bargaining chip. The men and women in uniform I’ve had the honor of working alongside to get this passed have already sacrificed so much for our nation—and passing the PACT Act today helped fulfill Congress’ sacred obligation to protect our servicemembers once they return home.

“The PACT Act is going to provide health care and specialized treatments to the 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins while serving. I look forward to this critical bill being signed into law and continuing to work with veterans in New Mexico and across the country for better access to health care.”