Klobuchar will introduce the Barbosa Act, legislation to expand access to colorectal cancer screenings for service members exposed to toxic substances
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that Amanda Barbosa will be her guest to President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. Barbosa is a Minnesota veterans advocate and the wife of former Army Captain Rafael Barbosa, who is living with Stage 4 colon cancer after his service in Iraq and Afghanistan where he was exposed to burn pits.
Klobuchar worked to successfully pass the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act last year, historic legislation that will deliver comprehensive relief to all generations of veterans who were exposed to toxins for the first time in our nation’s history. The legislation, signed into law last August, includes Klobuchar and Senator Mike Crapo's (R-ID) Toxic Exposure Training Act, a bipartisan bill to improve education and training for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel to treat illnesses related to exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances.
Additionally, Klobuchar will introduce legislation to expand access to colorectal cancer screenings for toxic-exposed service members. The Barbosa Act, named after former Army Captain Rafael Barbosa, would authorize the Department of Defense to provide servicemembers who have been exposed to burn pits or other toxins with preventive colorectal screenings. Under the PACT Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) now considers any gastrointestinal cancer as “presumptive'' or caused by service and exposure to burn pits.
“When we ask our servicemembers to sign up and defend our nation, we make a promise to take care of them when they return home. Last year, we took critical steps toward delivering on that promise when the bipartisan PACT Act was signed into law, ensuring that veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service finally get the care and benefits they deserve,” said Klobuchar. “Amanda was a valued partner as we worked to pass this historic legislation, tirelessly advocating for servicemembers and veterans such as her husband. Now, I am introducing the Barbosa Act to take this work further and give more support to our service members exposed to burn pits. I’m excited to have Amanda as my guest to the State of the Union to highlight the progress we’ve made on getting our veterans the benefits they’ve earned and the work ahead.”
“It’s an honor to join Senator Klobuchar as her guest to the State of the Union. Senator Klobuchar has worked tirelessly across the aisle to support our service members and veterans exposed to toxic substances. This issue is personal for me and my family after my husband, former Army Captain Rafael Barbosa, was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer after being exposed to burn pits during his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Barbosa. “Last year we passed the PACT Act, ensuring veterans will finally receive the care they need. We need to continue to build on this progress, and I’m grateful to the Senator for introducing the Barbosa Act to expand access to cancer screenings for service members exposed to toxins.”
The Toxic Exposure Training Act, which Klobuchar led with Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), will require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide health care personnel with improved education and training to identify, treat, and assess the impact of illnesses related to exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances. It will also require the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Compensation Service to establish and mandate an ongoing national training program. Between 2007 and 2020, about 75 percent of disability claims related to burn pit exposure were denied by the VA, which has adverse effects on veterans’ ability to receive care from illnesses stemming from toxic exposure.
Additionally, the PACT Act includes provisions from the Toxic Exposure in the American Military (TEAM) Act, bipartisan legislation Klobuchar introduced alongside Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) to reform and improve how veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits from the VA.
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