May 18, 2022

Congressman Castro Celebrates Bipartisan Deal to Improve Health Care and Services for Burn Pit Survivors

SAN ANTONIO – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement on the bipartisan Senate agreement to advance the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022:

“I’m glad the Senate has reached a deal to advance the Honoring Our PACT Act, bipartisan legislation I co-sponsored to improve health care and benefits for more than 3.5 million veterans,” said Congressman Castro. “For years, members of Congress and burn pit survivors have been fighting side-by-side to get the harms of toxic exposure recognized by the VA. Today’s agreement would not have been possible without the hard work of advocates on the ground, including Texas’s own Le Roy and Rosie Torres. I look forward to seeing this bill pass the Senate and move to President Biden’s desk.”

Congressman Castro has long supported action to help burn pit survivors. In addition to co-sponsoring the House version of the Honoring Our Pact Act, he introduced the Family Member Access to Burn Pit Registry Act, legislation that would authorize a family member to register on behalf of a deceased servicemember in the Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. In February 2022, Congressman Castro led an amicus brief supporting burn pit survivor Captain Le Roy Torres in Torres v. Texas, a Supreme Court case brought by Captain Torres against the state of Texas for failure to accommodate his service-connected disability.

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