Vietnam veterans need you to take action!

On March 17, 2021, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (MT) and Senator Ron Wyden (OR), introduced S. 810—the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act of 2021. On that same day, Representative Josh Harder (CA) and Representative Pete Stauber (MN) introduced H.R. 1972—also titled the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act of 2021—in the House of Representatives. These companion bills would add hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy of unspecified significance (MGUS) as presumptive diseases to Agent Orange exposure.In its 2018 report “Veterans and Agent Orange,” the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine noted that there is significant evidence of a positive scientific association between hypertension, MGUS and Agent Orange exposure.

While the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the authority to add these two diseases to the list of Agent Orange presumptive diseases, they have failed to do so for the last three years. Therefore, we need Congressional action.Consistent with DAV Resolution No.109, we support S. 810 and H.R. 1972, as they would add hypertension and MGUS to the list of Agent Orange presumptive diseases and provide access to VA benefits and health care for hundreds of thousands of Vietnam veterans.We are calling on all DAV members and supporters to contact their Senators and Representatives and urge them to co-sponsor and support S. 810 and H.R. 1972.Thank you for supporting DAV in the fight for justice for our Vietnam veterans.