WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Tuesday applauded the passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, which will greatly expand health care coverage for America’s veterans, including those who were exposed to toxic burn pits during their deployments:

“As a former chair and longtime member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, one of my highest priorities in the Senate is ensuring our nation’s veterans have access to the quality health care and benefits they have earned and deserve. That’s why I’m proud that we are sending the PACT Act to the President’s Desk. It is the most comprehensive expansion of health care for our nation’s veterans in a generation.

“This legislation expands health care access to over 3.5 million veterans, adds 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related health conditions to the VA’s list of presumptive conditions to include numerous cancers and respiratory illnesses, and builds on the VA’s infrastructure to bring health care closer to veterans by establishing 31 new VA facilities across 19 states. Additionally, the bill improves toxic exposure research, invests in VA’s workforce, and improves toxic exposure-related education for VA personal.

“The PACT Act does the right thing for our veterans and I was proud to support it.”