President Biden is expected to sign legislation delivering expanded health care assistance to service members exposed to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. For veterans, it's a recognition that comes after more than a decade of advocacy and struggle.
, who has voiced his suspicion that burn pits led to his elder son’s death.
What are these burn pits? Big, smelly and nothing anyone would want to breathe, they were commonly used by the military until several years ago to dispose of such things as chemicals, tires, plastics and medical and human waste. Jensen said, “That’s when we knew we now have the attention and let’s full-throttle and get this thing going.”
The congressman was intent on avoiding a piecemeal approach. He didn’t want the legislation to pit vets from one war against those of another in a fight for limited Department of Veterans Affairs resources.