THE ONGOING FIGHT FOR PACT ACT BENEFITS


By akirschbaum
Pact Act benefits fair.

A proposal from the House GOP to restructure the Toxic Exposures Fund has drawn intense pushback from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Democrats. The Pact Act benefits cover disability benefits and pays health care for the troops that have been exposed to toxic substances. With this ongoing issue, the Republicans are still standing their ground in fixing a few problems. Toxic Exposures Fund rules are seen to increase federal spending with other Veterans’ bills not related to toxic exposure. This will make it harder for Congress to pass legislation that affects Veterans.However, the two groups have different opinions. The Democrats blame Republicans for trying to sabotage the Pact Act's assurance of benefits for Veterans and health care. Last Thursday, some VA officials came to Capitol Hill to testify that they do not approve the GOP's Toxic Exposure Fund Improvement Act proposal.

Related read: Hazardous and Toxic Materials PACT Act Expansion Starts March 5, 2024

What Are Pact Act Benefits?

It was initially called the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund or the TEF before it was changed. This law expands the benefits for Veterans during their military service. What are some of the benefits of the Pact Act?

  1. Pact Act Benefits encompasses its eligibility to VA health care and Veterans with exposure to burn pits or other toxic chemicals.
  2. It also covers more than 20 presumptive conditions and other toxic exposures.
  3. The Pact Act benefits cover the concept of presumptive conditions. These are any illnesses or diseases that you acquire during service.
  4. If you have a presumptive condition, you only need to meet the eligibility requirements.
  5. The Pact Act assures that Veterans and other survivors will receive the benefits and care they deserve.

You'd better apply now if you still need to file for your VA benefits.

The Ongoing Concerns With the Pact Act

Chief Financial Officer Jon Rychalski mentioned that they are concerned about some provisions of this law, especially the potential unintentional consequences and Toxic Exposure Fund Improvement Act that may affect Veterans. He also added that providing services and benefits for toxic-exposed Vets would be seriously risky. In 2022, some Republicans were content with cutting the Pact Act's budget; this is also why some of the Senate Republicans blocked the passage of it before the Veterans had made a 24/7 protest on the Capitol's steps. However, it has a $20 billion budget this year and might increase to $24 billion in the next fiscal year.The Congressional Budget Office has forecasted that some unrelated to toxic exposure might cause some mandatory spending since the Pact Act benefits were approved. Despite this, congressional rules still require any increase in force spending to be counteracted with increased revenue or cuts. This makes it difficult to pass the Veteran's bills, earning a bad CBO score. Suggested read: Veterans With Cancer To Get PACT Act Benefits First

Reorganization of the Pact Act Benefits

To address the issues surrounding the funding, the House Veterans Affairs Committee created a bill for Veterans to enjoy the Pact Act benefits still, placing caps on the funding through fiscal 2023, redesignating financing for discretionary spending, and requiring the VA to propose a plan to Congress for funding budget from 2034 to 2045.House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost explained that this bill will not cut, abolish, or undermine the Toxic Exposures Fund. It would only fix the problem of stopping legislation from moving through the committee.But the Democrats condemned that Republicans have a hidden agenda to kneecap the Pact Act benefits.

What Would Happen to the Pact Act?

One of the ranking members of the committee, Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif, said that they would not prioritize toxic-exposed Veterans over other citizens in need—hungry children, college students, citizens who need job training, or seniors. The legislation would decide which Veteran's program might get a cut or some of the Pact Act benefits might be denied.VA officials explained that among the issues they have is the caps of $17 billion from Bost's. This is less than the VA budget projections. The caps will also make it difficult to add conditions to the list of illnesses caused by military service. On the other hand, Bost is still open to changes to the bill. This is so that Veterans and other survivors can receive their benefits.Read next: VA Disability Claim Status in Limbo? Thank the PACT Act & 113,000 Applications


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