U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson and advocates
for "Blue Water" veterans will hold a press conference in Washington May
18 to push to pass legislation in the House and Senate to clarify
existing law so veterans would be covered by by the federal Veterans
Administration for treatment of Agent Orange exposure if they have
served within the "territorial seas," approximately 12 miles off shore
of Vietnam.
“Over half of
these sailors are in heaven. They have left us far too soon,” he said in
a speech to Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce at Six Flags Great
Escape Lodge in Queensbury on Friday, referring to "Blue Water"
veterans, the U.S. Navy personnel who served on ships off the coast of
Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Agent Orange is a toxic chemical used to remove jungle foliage.
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed about 20 million gallons of the chemical in Vietnam.
Currently, veterans are only eligible for coverage if they were actually on the ground in Vietnam.
The legislation Gibson introduced -- H.R. 969 -- had 319 co-sponsors, as of Friday -- 174 Democrats and 145 Republicans.
Co-sponsors include Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, and Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam.
U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. and Steve Daines, R-Mont., have co-sponsored Senate companion legislation.
No comments:
Post a Comment