VA BENEFITS BILL

The House Veterans Affairs Committee voted to send a bill to the full House that would qualify an additional 90,000 ailing veterans for Agent Orange-related disability pay and health care from Department of Veterans Affairs. The former naval warriors of the Vietnam War have contended for decades that their illnesses were likely caused by exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides that reached patrolling ships or contaminated their water supply. Veterans who served on the ground in Vietnam or patrolled its inland waters have long been eligible for VA compensation and care if diagnosed with one of 14 ailments associated with Agent Orange exposure.