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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement and video message after the Senate voted to advance the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2021 (H.R. 3967). 
 
Broadcast quality video is available for download here and on Youtube here.

“When men and women volunteer to serve our nation, to put their lives on the line, they expect the government will be there for them,” Rubio said. “Far too often that hasn’t been the case. Some gave their lives on the battlefield. Others died from debilitating diseases when they came back home. For them, this bill comes too late. But for others, it will provide the care they desperately need and selflessly earned. We will never be able to repay them and their families for their sacrifice, but we can—and we must—take care of them now.” 
 
The PACT Act includes key provisions from Rubio’s Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act (S. 952), which he introduced with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) last year.  Specifically, the bill creates a presumption of service connection for more than 20 categories of diseases and streamlines the process for veterans to obtain benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
 
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