Jon Stewart criticizes senators who “stab warriors in the back” and has pushed for a bipartisan plan to increase care for veterans.
Reuters, WASHINGTON, July 28 – The U.S. Senate Republicans vetoed a plan to fund healthcare for veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits while serving abroad, and comedian Jon Stewart, a vocal supporter of military veterans, erupted in rage on Thursday.
During a news conference convened by the bill’s supporters outside the Senate, Stewart said, “I’m used to the lies, I’m used to the hypocrisy, I’m used to the cowardice, I’m used to all of it, but I’m not used to the cruelty.”
According to Stewart, Republicans “haven’t met a war they won’t join and they haven’t seen a veteran they won’t screw over.”
The military burn pits bill would give veterans who were exposed to toxic smoke from the U.S. military’s use of burn pits to dispose of waste on foreign bases until the mid-2010s greater access to health services and disability benefits. The bill initially passed the 100-member Senate with the support of 34 Republicans and all 50 Democrats.
The bill’s estimated first four-year cost is $180 billion if it becomes law. It would help the almost 3.5 million veterans who contracted cancer and other illnesses as a result of breathing in fumes from pits that occasionally reached football field dimensions. Waste such as plastic tires, batteries, explosives, human feces, and chemicals was burned in the pits.
The measure has been pushed for by Jon Stewart, a former anchor of the Daily Show and current host of The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+.
Senators who switched their votes were referred to as “stab-vets-in-the-back” by him.
YOU MAY LIKE ALSO: Rihanna makes and spends her $1.4 billion fortune
PS: Screw the Republican party and their hollow pledge to our veterans, he said.
Honoring our Pact Act would make it simpler for veterans to get the medical care they need after being exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam and toxin-producing trenches in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, a version of the bill was approved by the Senate 84–14; however, it was returned to the House for minor technical adjustments. It breezed right by there.
However, on Wednesday, 25 Republican senators who had earlier backed the proposal failed to do so.
Republican John Cornyn of Texas told CNN that Republicans did not support the legislation because Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was preventing votes on changes that Republicans wanted.
He mentioned that the Veterans Administration has denied about 80% of disability claims involving burn pits. For President Joe Biden, the matter is personal since he thinks that a pit from his time in Iraq may have contributed to the development of his late son Beau’s terminal brain cancer.
When returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, servicemen suffered from rare malignancies and severe respiratory disorders brought on by exposure to open air pits, yet they were routinely denied coverage or had to engage in expensive self-funded legal fights to establish their eligibility.
“Costs are not completely covered even if a conflict is resolved. We will soon fulfill that promise to American warriors and their families “Jerry Moran, a Republican senator, made the statement prior to the Thursday vote.
Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who supported the legislation in the Senate, declared at a press conference following the vote that “this is a day of our democracy actually working.”
The legislation will also broaden coverage for service members who were exposed to Agent Orange, a pesticide that the American military employed in Vietnam.
The legislation will now be put to a vote in the House of Representatives before being delivered to Biden’s desk for signing into law.
YOU MAY LIKE ALSO: Know Your Star Eminem: Unknown Facts
We appreciate your participation in India
Large-scale stories are occasionally shared by The Guardian with competing news sources. Most newsrooms prefer to keep their scoops to themselves. But we are aware that numbers give us more strength and influence. Because of our fearless investigative reporting, we can reach a wider audience.
This was accomplished in our most recent investigation, the Uber Files, by sharing more than 120,000 newly revealed papers with 180 journalists in 29 different countries. Why don’t we just keep it private? We did this because we knew the impact would be greater if domestic titles were simultaneously distributed to audiences in France, Germany, India, and other countries.
This type of journalism is crucial for democracy because it focuses attention on wrongdoing and urges the powerful to behave more responsibly. The Guardian is well-positioned to offer it since we don’t have shareholders or a billionaire owner. We can do any research we desire because of our independence from industry or government.
And since we make everything available for free, anyone can read it. We behave in this way because we believe in the equality of information.
More people will be able to understand how big world events impact people and communities, be able to follow them and be inspired to take meaningful action as a result. Millions can benefit from having free access to reliable, high-quality news, regardless of their financial situation.
YOU MAY LIKE ALSO: Detailed Explanation of Michael Keaton Batman movies
Every contribution, big or small, supports our journalism and assures our continuation. It only takes a minute to support the Guardian with just $1. Please think about giving us a recurring monthly donation if you can. I’m grateful.
