Davids, Local Veterans Celebrate One-Year Anniversary of Historic Expansion of Veterans Health Care

LENEXA, KS - Today, Representative Sharice Davids celebrated the one-year anniversary of the bipartisan Honoring our PACT Act, a Davids-supported law that expands Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care eligibility to five million American veterans who were exposed to toxic airborne hazards while deployed. Davids was joined by local veterans and VA health care professionals for a conversation on the PACT Act’s impact in Kansas and how to encourage veterans to continue applying for benefits.

Davids also released a report with new findings on how the PACT Act has expanded health care eligibility for Kansas veterans. Highlights include:

• 1,025 veterans in Kansas’ Third District are receiving expanded health care benefits thanks to the PACT Act.
• 408,581 PACT Act claims have been completed, meaning an estimated 4.6 million more veterans are eligible for benefits but have not applied for or received coverage.
• Kansas City VA (KCVA) has provided 26,385 total toxic exposure screenings, with 44 percent finding at least one potential toxic exposure.

“Kansas veterans, including those in my own family, have made countless sacrifices to serve our nation, and the least we can do is ensure they have the necessary care through VA when they get home,” said Davids. “The bipartisan PACT Act is the most extensive expansion of veterans' benefits ever and I was proud to work together with Republicans and Democrats to get it across the finish line. Now that we’ve reached the one-year mark, we’re celebrating the impact the law has had on our community while also encouraging veterans to continue applying for these life-saving benefits.”

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“I'm very grateful that the House and the Senate were able to come together to support this monumental legislation that is now law,” said Rick McKenna, Commander, Veterans of Foreign (VFW) Post 7397, Lenexa. “Representatives from both sides of the aisle like Ms. Davids realized that veterans issues are not a Democrat or Republican issue, it's an American issue. The passage of the PACT Act opened the door to thousands of veterans like me who were previously denied benefits for many years are now able to receive care and benefits they earned long ago. I say, ‘Thank You’ for all those that made this possible.”

“In the year since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, VA Medical Centers throughout Kansas and Missouri have screened over 137,000 Veterans for service-connected exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards, pesticides, oil well fires, Agent Orange, radiation, contaminated water, and other toxic substances,” said Dr. Ahmad Batrash, Chief of Staff for Kansas City VA (KCVA). “Based on their responses to the screening, approximately 61,000 of those Veterans have been encouraged to file a related claim with VA for potential benefits under the PACT Act. Kansas City VA Medical Center is very appreciative of the ongoing support from Representative Davids in promoting our PACT Act outreach events and in continuing to support us as we work to ensure all eligible Veterans in Kansas’ Third Congressional District receive the care they earned and deserve.”

“Wounded Warrior Project was proud to partner with other Veteran Service Organizations to advocate and champion the PACT ACT,” said Brent Whitten, local veteran involved with Wounded Warriors Project and Deputy Director of Operations for Kansas Department of Children and Families. “We are grateful for Representative Davids' support of the Veteran/Warrior Community and truly making a difference in the lives of others.”

Today, Davids, whose mother served in the Army for 20 years, was joined by local representatives from the KCVA, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Wounded Warriors Project, Navy League of the United States, and Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs. Last year, after appearing with Kansas City-area veterans and veterans’ advocate Jon Stewart to urge passage of the PACT Act, Davids joined local veterans at the Lenexa VFW to celebrate this critical legislation being signed into law.

Throughout history, the United States military deployed burn pits in bases around the world to dispose of garbage, plastics, and medical waste. These pits released toxic emissions, and those exposed for prolonged periods of time could develop cancers, asthma, and other life-threatening respiratory illnesses. While data suggests five million military personnel may have been exposed after September 11, 2001, many of those veterans had to prove to VA that their illness is connected to their service and were subsequently turned down treatment. The Honoring our PACT Act, which was signed into law on August 10, 2022, removes that burden and expands coverage for toxic-exposed veterans. Along with authorizing $40 million in federal funding to expand outpatient services at the Kansas City VA Hospital, it:

• Expands VA health care eligibility to Post-9/11 combat veterans, which includes more than 5 million toxic-exposed veterans;
• Creates a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure;
• Adds 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to VA’s list of service presumptions, including hypertension;
• Expands presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure;
• Strengthens federal research on toxic exposure;
• Improves the VA’s resources and training for toxic-exposed veterans; and
• Sets the VA and veterans up for success by investing in VA claims processing, the VA’s workforce, and VA health care facilities.

Any veteran or survivor can learn more about the Honoring our PACT Acthere. All veterans and survivors can apply for their benefits now, but those who apply before August 9, 2023 can have their benefits backdated to August 10, 2022.