Legislation includes provisions introduced by Klobuchar to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced today that two of her provisions to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families have passed the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The first provision, based on the bipartisan Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act led by Klobuchar and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), will improve the care that servicemembers and Veterans who were previously exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances receive during the coronavirus pandemic. By requiring medical professionals to ask whether servicemembers and veterans who test positive for a virus designated by the federal government as a pandemic, including COVID-19, if they were previously exposed to burn pits, this provision will help ensure that they receive proper care and proper attention to their medical needs.
The second provision, based on the bipartisan Newborn Care Improvement Act led by Klobuchar and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), will increase the number of days that veterans who give birth may receive care for their newborns. Currently, a veteran must find outside health care for their newborn child within seven days of birth or the child will not be covered by health insurance. This provision will allow patients who receive a doctor’s permission to receive care beyond seven days and ensures that the newborn child will be covered by health insurance during that time.
“The brave servicemembers who serve in our armed forces represent the best among us and we must do everything we can to support those who put their lives on the line for our country,” Klobuchar said. “I am pleased to see that my provisions to improve care for newborns and veterans exposed to burn pits are included in the NDAA. These provisions will help strengthen our country and do right by those who sacrifice so much for our security and their families.”
Throughout her time in the Senate, Klobuchar has worked across the aisle to modernize G.I. Bill benefits for our troops, strengthen funding for veterans’ health care, and improve mental healthcare for our nation’s soldiers.
In June, Senators Klobuchar and Mike Rounds (R-SD), along with Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), introduced the Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act, to require the collection of information on exposure to burn pits to ensure servicemembers and veterans who test positive for COVID-19 get the specialized care they need.
The Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act, now part of the NDAA, was endorsed by the Toxic Exposures in the American Military (TEAM) coalition, which consists of 30 organizations, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Wounded Warrior Project.
In March 2019, Klobuchar and Thom Tillis (R-NC) reintroduced the Newborn Care Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation that would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) doctors to waive the seven-day limit on newborn care if medically necessary. Under current regulations, the VA covers newborn care for only the first seven days after birth, even if birth complications require continued care beyond that period. Factors like PTSD and combat injuries mean that many female veterans face high-risk pregnancies, increasing the risk of premature delivery and longer hospitalization time. According to the VA, almost half of female veterans use the VA’s veteran health system, and we must ensure our female veterans have access to the care.
In December 2019, Klobuchar’s bipartisan Burn Pits Accountability Act with Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2020. The Burn Pits Accountability Act requires members of the Armed Forces to be evaluated for exposure to toxic airborne chemicals during routine health exams and to direct the Secretary of Defense to record and share whether servicemembers were based or stationed near an open burn pit.
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