WASHINGTON – Ten national veterans organizations pleaded
with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, asking him to direct the Justice
Department not to appeal a recent federal court decision that could extend
benefits to thousands of Vietnam War veterans.
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 9-2 in
January that “Blue Water” Navy veterans, those who served aboard ships offshore
during the war, are eligible for benefits to treat illnesses linked to exposure
to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange.
The Justice Department and Department of Veterans Affairs
have until the end of the month to seek a review of the case from the U.S.
Supreme Court. VA General Counsel James Byrne said last month that the agency
hadn’t decided whether it would appeal but officials were “taking it under
advisement.”
Veterans and lawmakers have asked VA Secretary Robert Wilkie
not to contest the decision. On Tuesday night, 10 groups appealed directly to
Trump.
“On behalf of the
undersigned veterans service organizations and our millions of members, we urge
you to direct the Justice Department NOT to appeal the U.S. Appeals Court for
the Federal Circuit decision,” they wrote in a letter to the president.
The court ruled in favor of Alfred Procopio, Jr., 73, who
served on the USS Intrepid during the Vietnam War. Procopio is one of tens of
thousands of veterans who served aboard aircraft carriers, destroyers and other
ships and were deemed ineligible for the same disability benefits as those
veterans who served on the ground and inland waterways.
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