>> PRESIDENT BIDEN SPEAKING LAST
NIGHT ABOUT THE TOXIC CAPITALS
HE BELIEVES HIS LATE SON WAS
GOING THROUGH IN AFGANISTAN E
IRAQI.
HE IS WORKING ON A HEALTHCARE
COVERAGE FOR 3 MILLION VETERANS
DEALING WITH SIMILAR ISSUES.
JOINING US DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSMAN FROM CALIFORNIA, THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE VETERAN'S
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND JON
STEWART IS WITH US.
THE SHOW IS "THE PROBLEM WITH
JON SAW THE READY."
>> HE WILL GO FOR FOR THIS.
>> ON APPLE TV.
HE'S AN ADVOCATE OF THE BILL.
HE'S WORKED TIRELESSLY TO HELP
VETERANS AND HEALTH RESPONDERS
GET THE HELP THEY DESERVE.
>> TELL US ABOUT THE WHILE TO
SURPASS?
>> WELL, IT'S A COMPREHENCE EV
AROACH.
IT MAINLY DEALS WITH EXPOSE
YEARS TO IRAQ VETERANS.
IT CONCEDES 3.5 MILLION
VETERANS, THEY GET ACCESS TO
HEALTHCARE.
WE HAVE 23 PRESUMPTIONS, WE'VE
REFORMED THE PRESUMPTION MAKING
PROCESS SO THAT IT'S FAIRER AND
WE DON'T PUT THE BURN ON OUR
VETERANS.
>> RIGHT.
>> WE GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF
THE DOUBT.
THEY SHOULDN'T BE IN A PLACE
WHERE THEY ARE FIGHTING THEIR
OWN GOVERNMENT FOR HEALTHCARE
AND BENEFITS --
>> CAN YOU EXPLAIN, A LOT OF
PEOPLE HEARD THE PRESIDENT TALK
ABOUT BURN PITS AND HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT THEY ARE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THEY ARE
AND WHY THE PRESIDENT BELIEVES
HIS SON MAY HAVE ACTUALLY GOTTEN
CANCER FROM ONE OF THESE BURN
PITS?
>> LOOK, WHEN YOU ARE MOVING
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
MILITARY PERSONNEL INTO AN AREA,
100,000 I'VE SEEN THE
INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PLACE.
IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THE TRASH,
THE REFUGE, OLD COMPUTERS,
WHATEVER, TIRES, THE MILITARY
DUG UP THESE HUGE BURN PITS, BY
THE WAY, WOULD NEVER ALLOWED IN
ANY TOWN IN THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA POURED JET FUEL ON
WHATEVER THEY PUT IN THERE AND
LIT THEM ON FIRE AND OUR MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS WERE
MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS WERE
SUBJECTED TO THIS 24/SEVEN.
>> HOUVENG HAS THAT BEEN GOING
ON?
IS THIS AN ONGOING?
>> IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE.
WE DON'T APPLY OSHA REGULATIONS
TO THE MILITARY, IT'S TRUE.
>> THEY HAVE SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY
IF THEY ARE DOING IT IF IT'S
DANGEROUS.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN SUE THEM.
>> I WAS TALKING TO JOHN BEFORE
THE SEGMENT.
LOOK, WE KNOW THAT WHEN YOU BURN
PLASTIC, YOU BURN DIESEL AND YOU
ARE SUBJECTED TO THAT EXPOSURE,
IT'S GOING TO CAUSE CANCER,
THERE ARE GOING TO BE HEALTH
EFFECTS.
BUT HERE'S THE THING, THE
MILITARY NEVER KEPT GOOD RECORDS
ON WHAT THEY PUT IN THESE PUTS.
THAT'S BEING USED AS THE REASON
FOR WHY WE CAN'T SCIENTIFICALLY
LINK THE EXPOSE YEAR TO THE
VETERANS AND THEIR ILLNESSES.
>> WILLIE IS IN NEW YORK.
HE HAS A QUESTION.
>> I APPRECIATE THE GREAT WORK
YOU HAVE DONE FOR VETERANS, I
THINK OUR MUCH CAL WAL FRIEND
DESERVES A LOT OF RESPECT FOR
BRINGING THIS TO PEOPLE'S
ATTENTION MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
HIS STATE OF THE UNION WAS
EXTRAORDINARY AND WELCOME.
MY DAD WAS IN YEEM.
HE SUFFERED ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM
AGENT ORANGE.
SO TO YOUR POINT, IT HAS BEEN
GOING ON A LONG TIME.
WHAT IS THE RESPONSE ON CAPITOL
HILL?
YOU FAMOUSLY HAD TO FIGHT AND
SHAKE YOUR FISTS AT A BUNCH OF
CONGRESS PEOPLE TO GET THEM TO
MAY ATTENTION.
ARE THINGS DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF
RESPONDING TO THIS ISSUE FOR
YOU?
>> I THINK IT'S GETTING THERE.
GROUND ZERO AFTER 911 IN SOME
WAYS, THE ORIGINAL BURN PIT.
GROUND ZERO WAS A BURN PIT.
ALL THOSE MATERIALS, CEMENT,
PLASTICS.
THE SAME AS IN AFGHANISTAN AS
WELL.
JET FUEL ON TOP OF THOSE.
THOSE FUMES BECAUSE FDNY WAS SO
METICULOUS IN THEIR LONGITUDINAL
HEALTH STUDIES FOR THEIR MEMBERS
BEFORE 9/11.
WE WERE ABLE DRAW CONCLUSIONS ON
THEIR ILLNESSES AFTER 9/11.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF
RECORD, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT
MORE OF A ROUGH HILL.
THE ADVOCATES BURN HILL 3
VICTIMs.
VSO WITH PAUL RYE CROFT AND
JEREMY BUTLER AND TOM PORTER,
JEN BIRCH.
THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS
TO GET THIS TO PEOPLE'S
ATTENTION, FINALLY WE'VE GOT THE
PACT ACT ON THE FLOOR OF THE
HOUSE.
IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE BILL.
THERE IS GOING TO BE A BAIT AND
SWITCH.
YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND THIS AS WELL
AS ANYBODY.
RANKING MEMBER BOSS HAS A BILL
THAT SAYS, OKAY.
THE PACT ACT IS WHAT'S
NECESSARY.
THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO FIX THE
PROBLEM.
WHAT IF WE GIVE THE VETERANS
WHAT WE CAN GET AWAY WITH?
HOW ABOUT THAT?
IT'S KEEPER.
IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY FIX THE
PROBLEM.
THERE WILL BE AN AMENDMENT ON
THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE TO
SUBSTITUTE THIS COMPREHENSIVE
BILL THATISTICALLY SAYS WHY
DON'T WE EXPAND ACCESS TO
HEALTHCARE FROM FIVE YEARS TO
TEN YEARS AROUND CALL IT A DEBT.
>> INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT THE
SPECIFIC.
>> INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT THE
SPECIFIC PROBLEM, BURN PIT
EXPOSURE, TOXIC EXPOSURE.
I CAN REMEMBER YOU GO DOWN TO
WALTER REED IF 2003/2004, THEIR
PROSTHETIC AND AMPUTATION CARE
WAS YOU KNOW, YOU'D HAVE GUYS
LOST BOTH LEGS, JUST ABOVE THE
FEE AND THEIR PHYSICAL THERAPY
WAS THEY'D LIE ON A MATT AND
ROLL A MEDICINE BALL BACK AND
FORTH.
IF YOU GO DOWN THERE NOW, IT'S
WORLD CLASS, STATE OF THE ART,
THE ADAPTIVE REHABILITATION IS
TECH PHYSICALLYNICALLY ADVANCED.
THEY'RE CORRECTIVE SURGERIES.
BUT THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.
THEY MADE IT INTENTIONAL.
OUR TOXIC EXPOSURE CARE ISN'T
FIRST CLASS YET.
THE PACT ACT CHANGES THAT.
IT MAKES IT KNOWN THAT WHAT
THESE SOLDIERS ARE EXPOSED TO IS
LIKE AN IED THAT GOES OFF IN
YOUR BODY SEVEN YEARS LATER, TEN
YEARS LATER.
IT WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF WHAT
NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
>> IN CASE PEOPLE WONDER IF THIS
IS SOME OBSCURE AR CANE ISSUE.
ACCORDING TO IAVA 86% OF
POST-9/11 VETERANS REPORTED
EXPOSE YEARS TO BURN PITS AND
TOXINS.
ALMOST EVERYBODY THAT SERVED
OVER THERE, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN,
IS IMPACTED IN SOME WAY BY THIS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU COULDN'T ESCAPE STUFF LIKE
THAT, WHATEVER THEATER,
AFGHANISTAN OR IRAQ.
JON STEWART OFF WHAT WILLIE
POINTED OUT, WHAT DO YOU THINK
THE PROBLEM IS WITH OUR CULTURE
IN THAT I BET MORE PEOPLE CAN
TELL YOU WHAT'S ON NETFLIX
TONIGHT THAT COULD TELL YOU
ABOUT THE FACT THAT ONE IN THREE
VETERANS COME BACK FROM OUR WARS
AFFLICTED BY INVISIBLE THINGS,
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME.
DRUG ADDICTION.
DEPRESSION, ANXIETY WHAT DOES IT
SAY ABOUT US AS A NATION THE
GIFT OF A DPRAFTFUL NATION WE
ARE NOT GRATIFYING ENOUGH, NOT
PLEASING ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, TO
RECOGNIZE THE ISSUES THAT FACE
VETERANS?
>> I HATE TO SAY THIS, IN SOME
WAYS IT'S BY DESIGN.
YOU SAW IN THE VIETNAM ERA WHEN
THERE WAS A DRAFT AND PEOPLE'S
SONS AND DAUGHTERS WERE INVOLVED
IN THIS.
IT CREATED A NATIONWIDE PROTEST
MOVEMENT AND UNREST AND AN ALL
VOLUNTEER ARMY ISSESE YEAR TO
PUT OFF.
BUT THE BURDEN OF OUR WARS, THE
ONUS ON THE WAR ON TERROR HAS
BEEN BORN BY LESS THAN 1% OF THE
COUNTRY AND THE REST OF UNDER
THE CIRCUMSTANCES, FAMOUSLY WHAT
DID GEORGE BUSH SAY, CONSUME.
YOU GO AHEAD, EVERYBODY GO SHOP.
WE GOT THIS.
WELL, HE DIDN'T HAVE IT, IT WAS
THE FAMILIES, NOT JUST THE
SOLDIERS, BUT THEIR FAMILIES.
THE CARE-GIVERS, DANIEL
ROBINSON, WHO WAS THERE LAST
NIGHT.
WHO IS THE WIFE OF SERGEANT
FIRST CLASS HEATH ROBINSON WHO
DIED OF LUNG CANCER CAUSED BY
TOXIC EXPOSURE.
THE BLOG 10 ACRES WIDE, BURNING
24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A
WEEK.
YOU KNOW, THEIR FAMILIES AND
CARE-GIVERS BEAR THE ENTIRE
BURDEN OF OUR WARS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT STRONGAL
APPROPRIATIONS, MAN, WE ALWAYS
HAVE MONEY FOR WAR AND WE
SUPPORT THE TROOPS UNTIL THE
TROOPS NEED SUPPORT BUT WE NEVER
HAVE MAIN TO PAY FOR THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE.
>> THERE IS A BIDDING GOING ON
BETWEEN THE PARTIES WHO CAN
SUPPORT UKRAINE MORE.
THE PRESIDENT SAID 6.5 BILLION.
CONGRESS IS SAYING, THAT'S NOT
ENOUGH.
LET'S DO 10 BILLION.
I WANT THAT SAME SORT OF ONE
UPSMANSHIP TO RETURN TO TAKING
CARE OF AMERICA'S VETERANS.
THERE IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
THIS GENERATION OF VETERANS, BURN PITS ARE WHAT ARE TO ACT
BURN PITS ARE WHAT ARE TO ACT
ORG ORANGE WAS TOAGENT ORANGE WA
VETERANS.
I HAD THE PLEASURE TO PUSH
THROUGH THE VIETNAM VETERANS ACT
WHICH EXTENDED AGENT ORANGE
PRESUMPTIONS TO OUR NAVAL
SERVICE MEMBERS.
THAT WAS FOUR YEARS LATE.
>> RIGHT.
>> A LOT OF THESE GUYS DIED
BEFORE THEY COULD SEE THE
BENEFITS OF THIS BILL.
>> RIGHT.
>> THE DANGER OF BAIT AND SWITCH
AND ADDRESSING 16,000 VETERANS
VERSUS THE 3.5 MILLION WHO MIGHT
HAVE BEEN EXPOSED IS THAT WE
WILL REPEAT THE TERRIBLE HISTORY
OF AGENT ORANGE.
>> YOU ARE SO RIGHT, JOHN, ARE
YOU SO RIGHT, EVERYBODY SALUTES
THE TROOPS WHEN THEY LEAVE.
THEY LIKE PUTTING THE BUMPER
STICKER ON THE BACK OF THE VANS
SAYING 10 SPONSORS OFF IHOP.
>> THIS IS HAPPENING FOREVER.
YOU COME BACK, SUDDENLY THE
VETERANS ARE FORGOTTEN.
>> THIS IS THE TRUE COST OF WAR.
YOU GOT LAMP LE JEUNE, SOLDIERS
DOWN THERE WERE DRINK BENZENE IN
THE GROUNDWATER.
THIS IS ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE