Veterans & Military Personnel

Decades after their service, several local Vietnam veterans say they are dealing with the side effects from their contact with Agent Orange. Under current VA regulations, 14 presumptive conditions are related to its exposure. Of those 14, three of those conditions have end dates and must be at least 10% disabling within 1-year of contact with the herbicide. Those conditions are Cloracne, which is a skin condition, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda, which is liver dysfunction, and Peripheral Neuropathy, which causes a variety of things like tumors and cancers.

“Forty-three years after the end of the Vietnam War, our government is still failing to properly care for servicemembers who were exposed to the toxic chemical known as Agent Orange,” said Congressman Courtney. “The Agent Orange Exposure Fairness Act is a long overdue reform to the way the Veterans Administration recognizes the claims of Agent Orange victims. This bill would not be possible without the tireless efforts of one of my constituents, Mr. Gerry Wright, who has singlehandedly crisscrossed the country to raise the alarm about untreated Agent Orange cases. It’s a commonsense bill which will remove one of the most frustrating and onerous barriers that has denied veterans critical assistance for decades. It’s time to correct an injustice, it’s time to pass this bill.”