VFW Denounces Lone GOP Senator Holding Up Bill For 'Blue Water' Navy Vietnam Vets
The Veterans of Foreign Wars didn’t mince words in its denunciation of Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) on Tuesday, who the group said had “obstructed” a bill for offshore Navy Vietnam Veterans suffering from illnesses stemming from Agent Orange exposure.
“My disappointment with Senator Enzi’s obstruction is beyond measure, because what he did was fail to take care of forgotten veterans who were exposed to toxic substances, and he failed to take care of their children who sadly inherited a toxic legacy,” VFW National Commander B.J. Lawrence said in a statement.
“The VFW nor its members will forget this.”
The bill, known as the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, or H.R. 299, would extend eligibility for health care and disability benefits to service members who served aboard ships off the Vietnam coast. It had received backing from the VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Paralyzed Veterans of America, which said in a joint statement in September that it provide “long-delayed justice” to aging veterans who “continue to suffer and die from illnesses that have already been legally and scientifically linked to Agent Orange exposure.”
The bill passed the House 382-0 in June, but when it came up for unanimous consent in the Senate, Enzi raised his objection.
https://taskandpurpose.com/vfw-denounce-blue-water-senator/