House approves benefits for Blue Water Navy veterans
CARLOS BONGIOANNI/STARS AND STRIPES
By NIKKI WENTLING | STARS AND STRIPES Published: June 25, 2018
WASHINGTON — The House unanimously passed legislation Monday that would extend Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to approximately 90,000 sailors who served off the coast during the Vietnam War, some of whom have been fighting for years to prove their illnesses were caused by exposure to Agent Orange.
Lawmakers voted 382-0 in favor of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which must go to the Senate for final approval. It provides eligibility for disability compensation to “Blue Water†Navy veterans – those sailors aboard aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other ships who contend they were exposed to Agent Orange through the ships’ water systems. The dioxin-laden herbicide has been found to cause respiratory cancers, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease, as well as other conditions.
https://www.stripes.com/news/us/house-approves-benefits-for-blue-water-navy-veterans-1.534712
