House-passed legislation, supported by 65 veterans service organizations, critical for care and benefits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 12, 2022
CONTACT: press@iava.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Memorial Day weekend, veteran advocate Jon Stewart and a coalition of Veterans Organizations, will hold “Pass The PACT Act Rally DC” gathering and press event at the Rolling to Remember demonstration, to highlight the urgent need for the Senate to pass the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 or Honoring our PACT Act.

Background:

Last year, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021, or Honoring our PACT Act, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to conclusively address toxic exposure as a cost of war. This critical bipartisan legislation has the support of 65 Veterans Service Organizations. In March, the Honoring our PACT Act passed in the House with a broad bipartisan vote and moved on to the U.S. Senate. 

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)  is the voice for the post-9/11 veteran generation. With over 425,000 veterans and allies nationwide, IAVA is the leader in non-partisan veteran advocacy and public awareness. We drive historic impacts for veterans and IAVA’s programs are second to none. Any veteran or family member in need can reach out to IAVA’s Quick Reaction Force at quickreactionforce.org or 855-91RAPID (855-917-2743) to be connected promptly with a veteran care manager who will assist. IAVA’s The Vote Hub is a free tool to register to vote and find polling information. IAVA’s membership is always growing. Join the movement at iava.org/membership.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard, and Reserve forces. With more than 1.5 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in nearly 6,000 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans’ service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information, or to join, visit our website at vfw.org. | Contact: Rob Couture, (202) 374-9998, RCouture@vfw.org  

DAV (Disabled American Veterans) empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: keeping our promises to America’s veterans. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; linking veterans and their families to employment resources; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a non-profit organization with more than one million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U. S. Congress in 1932. Learn more at dav.org. | Media Contact: Todd Hunter, (202) 314-5219, thunter@dav.org

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation’s largest military officers’ association with 350,000 members from every branch of uniformed service, including active duty, retired, National Guard, Reserve, and former officers and their families and survivors. MOAA is a nonprofit and politically nonpartisan organization, working as an influential force in promoting a strong national defense. MOAA represents the interests of service members and their families at every stage of their lives and careers. For more information, visit moaa.org. | Media Contact: Cory Titus, (703) 838-8123, coryt@moaa.org

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), since 2003, has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more, woundedwarriorproject.org | Media Contact: Ed Frank, (904) 510-5504, efrank@woundedwarriorproject.org 

AMVETS is the nation’s most inclusive Congressionally-chartered veterans service organization, representing the interests of 20 million veterans. AMVETS is open to and fighting for all who honorably served in the United States military, including the Reserve and Guard. With more than 250,000 members nationwide, we are veterans serving veterans. For more information, visit amvets.org | Media Contact: Miles Migliara, (573) 528-4219, mmigliara@amvets.org 

Burn Pits 360 is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to offer an independent burn pit exposure registry in which family members can record the names of warriors who served the nation but have passed away due to illnesses from toxic injury. We are entirely dedicated to improving post-deployment health outcomes for current and former military personnel, especially those who are suffering from emerging, complicated, or unexplained post-deployment health concerns arising from service in our post-9/11 wars and previous conflicts. For more information, visit burnpits360.org | Media Contact: Rosie Torres, (361) 816-4015, rosie.torres@burnpits360.org 

The Fealgood Foundation assists all emergency personnel, including but not limited to, firefighters, police officers, nurses, volunteers, sanitation workers, transportation workers, and construction workers, within the United States who have been injured, or face serious injury due to action or omission, in the course of their duties or within their everyday lives. The mission of the FGF includes educating elected officials and private entities on the various problems, concerns, and issues faced by First Responders in their everyday duties. The FGF is therefore dedicated to advocating for First Responder rights and illuminating, to proper authorities, the serious issues they encounter.

The Reserve Organization of America (ROA), founded in 1922 as the Reserve Officers Association and chartered by Congress in 1950, is the only national military service organization that solely and exclusively supports the Reserve Components of the United States, their families, and veterans of the reserve forces.| Media Contact: Jeff Phillips jphillips@roa.org

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation’s only congressionally chartered veterans’ service organization dedicated to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans and their families. We hold true to our founding principle, ” Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another.” For more information, visit https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/8DykCDk2r4tNW2yiWC1s6 | Media Contact: Mokie Porter, (301) 996-0901, mporter@vva.org

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