PHOTOS: Peters Highlights New VA Benefits Available for Toxic-Exposed Veterans in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) was joined by local veterans at the American Legion Boat and Canoe Club in Grand Rapids today to highlight the new VA benefits now available to veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxic chemicals during their service. Peters helped enact into law the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act – which delivered VA health care and benefits to all generations of toxic-exposed veterans — and their survivors — for the first time in our nation’s history. Peters, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped pass the bipartisan legislation in the Senate, which was recently signed into law by President Biden.

“Many of our nation’s heroes are suffering as a result of being exposed to harmful substances like Agent Orange or toxic burn pits during their service,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. “I was proud to help pass the Honoring Our PACT Act into law to finally ensure these veterans, along with their survivors, can obtain their long-overdue health care and benefits through the VA – and I’m pleased to highlight veterans can now apply to receive those benefits by visiting the VA’s website today.”

“Thank you, Senator Peters, for bringing everyone together today to talk about this vital piece of legislation that’s going to deliver VA health care and benefits to veterans and their surviving family members across the country, including right here in Grand Rapids,” said Kent County Office of Veteran Services Supervisor Ryan Grams. “As a U.S. Army veteran – this fight is personal to me – and I’m grateful to know that fellow veterans I served with and throughout the state will at long last get the care they deserve.”

“For veterans like myself, this bill is going to deliver needed benefits by expanding the list of locations officially recognized as being related to Agent Orange exposure – which now includes Guam, where I served, along with other locations,” said local veteran Mike Blundell. “And that’s why Senator Peters bringing us all together here today is so important moving forward. Now that the bill has become law, we must continue to get the word out and encourage impacted veterans to take advantage of this right now by filing a claim – which is exactly what I plan to do.”

“During my time in the service, I was deployed to Iraq where I was exposed to burn pits and toxic chemicals,” said local veteran David Walker. “Now that the PACT Act has become law, post-9/11 veterans like myself who were exposed to burn pits – along with the survivors of veterans who passed due to health complications like toxic exposure – can now access the benefits and health care we need. I’m grateful to Senator Peters for his leadership in helping to pass this bill into law – and encourage all veterans with similar stories to my family to contact the VA and get their claim started.”

Veterans can now file claims to apply for PACT Act-related benefits by calling the Veterans Administration (VA) at 800-698-2411 or filing a claim online for disability benefits and/or VA health care. For more information about the PACT Act, click here.

Senator Peters and local veterans highlight new VA health care, benefits now available to all generations of toxic-exposed veterans at American Legion in Grand Rapids.

Peters is a strong advocate for Michigan’s servicemembers and veterans. Last year, Peters was inducted into the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor for his efforts to support our nation’s veterans and military. In 2017, Peters was recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Vietnam Veterans of America for authoring the bipartisan Fairness for Veterans Act, which was signed into law. The legislation requires veteran discharge review boards to give liberal consideration to petitions for honorable discharge status if the servicemember has been diagnosed with PTSD, TBI or other related conditions connected to their military service. As of the fall of 2020, more than 1,500 veterans have had their discharges upgraded since his legislation was enacted.

Peters also introduced bipartisan legislation to protect veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their service. The Burn Pits Accountability Act would require that servicemembers be assessed for exposure to open toxic burn pits as part of their routine health exams, as this exposure has been known to lead to cancer, cardiovascular toxicity, reproductive issues and neurological damage for numerous Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans.

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