Jon Stewart has called on US lawmakers to “do the right thing” by American veterans at a time when they are sending billions of dollars to help service members in Ukraine.
The TV host and veteran advocate told The Independent on Saturday that all senators who voted to approve a $40bn aid package for Ukraine must now also vote to approve a package to give US veterans sick and dying from toxic exposure to burn pits access to the healthcare and disability benefits that they need.
“Any senator that voted to send $40bn to Ukraine can stand up and do the right thing by the veterans of this country,” he said.
Mr Stewart was speaking from the Rolling to Remember event in Washington DC on Memorial Day weekend, where veterans, their families and advocates called on Congress to pass the Honoring our PACT Act.
During America’s post-September 11 wars, US service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan were forced to eat, sleep and work alongside huge open-air pits which burned mountains of trash including food packaging, human waste and military equipment around the clock.
Thousands returned home sick with rare forms of cancer, respiratory conditions and toxic brain injuries caused by the toxic exposure and found themselves shut out of access to VA healthcare and benefits because the burden of proof was on them to prove a direct link.
The Honoring our PACT Act would finally presumptively link 23 cancers, respiratory illnesses and other conditions to a veterans’ exposure to burn pits.
After decades of fighting from veterans and advocates, it is the closest it has ever come to being signed into law, having passed the House in April and heading to the Senate for a vote in early June.
However the bill still faces some pushback from Republican senators who have balked at its price tag.
The PACT Act is estimated to cost about $1bn in the coming years.
Earlier in May, the Senate overwhelmingly voted in favour of sending $40bn – 40 times the amount – in emergency military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Only 11 senators — all Republicans — opposed the Ukraine aid package.
Mr Stewart said at the Washington DC rally on Saturday that only six more senators are needed to get the bill to the 60 votes needed to sign it into law.
“There’s a whole group right now who are trying to be political and we had our time for being very confrontational and getting to this point,” he told The Independent.
“But right now it’s bipartisan and we’re going to trust that, when it all comes down, that they’re going to do the right thing as Americans.”
John Feal, 9/11 responder, veteran advocate and founder of the FealGood Foundation, told The Independent that he is confident that the bill will not only get the 60 votes needed to pass but at least 67 senators voting yes.
“There are good people in the Senate that are going to do the right thing,” he said, adding that when lawmakers return from recess next week “we’ll be all over them” to make sure the bill passes.
He said that he questions the patriotism and humanity of any lawmakers who fail to support the bill which has the backing of 65 major veteran organisations.
“There’s 46 Republican senators that should get on this bill just because it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
“We’re not just trying to get the bill passed. We’re also trying to challenge their humanity and questioning their patriotism.
“And we want to make sure they do the right thing.
“So whether we get to 60, 68 or 74, those who don’t get on board, America will be their judge.”
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill in the first week of June after the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee announced that a bipartisan deal had been reached.
If it passes the Senate vote, it is likely to be signed into law as soon as July.