Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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The trials that members of our military face don’t just disappear when they leave the front lines. I know, in my own experience, that they continue at home.
Before being elected to the Nevada state Senate, I served in the U.S. Army for nearly three decades. Over the course of my military career, I traveled all over the world and saw firsthand how service members’ health is affected long after leaving.
The determination and courage that it takes to serve our country, and the willingness to experience the long-term effects of that service, cannot be overstated. So many former service members will bear battle scars — physical and mental — for the rest of their lives, and it is up to our leaders to ensure that they are taken care of and receive the hard-earned benefits they deserve.
One major concern for service members who deploy overseas is the detrimental effects that toxic burn pits have on their health. Burn pits were commonly used to dispose of waste from military bases, including plastics, rubber, chemicals and medical waste, in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many who were exposed to the toxic fumes from these pits are now experiencing long-term health effects, from respiratory illness to cancer.
Those experiencing these severe health impacts can’t even necessarily receive the treatment they need — in fact, 78% of disability claims related to toxic exposure were denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs for over a decade.
Service members and veterans have been left in the dust for far too long, specifically by the previous administration, but President Joe Biden has made them a priority. He knows the sacrifice it takes to serve our country and is making sure we support military members and their families throughout their service and after they come home. That’s why he has followed through on his promise to sign numerous pieces of legislation, including the PACT Act, into law to make sure that veterans have the care they need.
The PACT Act is landmark, bipartisan legislation that implemented the most significant expansion of VA benefits and services for veterans in over three decades.
In the first year of the law, the VA was able to process over 458,000 PACT Act claims and 16% more year-to-date total claims than the previous all-time record. This is clear proof that this legislation is giving so many of our veterans the care that they deserve, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Biden’s dedication to working across the aisle to deliver real results for those who need them most.
Biden’s commitment to veterans doesn’t end there. He has shown determined tenacity to expand benefits for women veterans, the fastest-growing group in the veteran population.This means a lot to me as a woman veteran who has seen firsthand the gender gaps and disparities in VA services and care.
In 2021, Biden signed the Protecting Moms Who Served Act into law to put $15 million into maternity care for veterans as a measure to help improve the maternal mortality rate in the United States. Additionally, he signed vital legislation into law to expand mammography services to women veterans who have experienced toxic exposure and may be more at risk of breast cancer, as well as extend access to mammograms for veterans in rural areas.
The list of Biden’s accomplishments for veterans can go on and on, including his historic investment to combat veteran homelessness and his support for military families. The bottom line is that he has been a steadfast ally to service members and veterans, and we cannot afford to elect a different leader who doesn’t share his commitment to those who have served — like Donald Trump.
As president, Trump failed veterans. Year after year, he proposed extreme budgets that would have slashed Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security benefits for veterans. He also supported cutting a rental assistance program that has helped reduce veteran homelessness across the country.
Not only that, but Trump tried to take credit for the strides President Barack Obama made for veterans while failing to deliver on his own promises. Even now, he’s declared his support for Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who is actively holding up military nominations and putting service members at risk.
Trump’s most egregious act has been his callous disregard for national security, protecting the Constitution and preserving our democracy. Military and civilian cemeteries hold the remains of thousands of fallen heroes who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our democracy and the oath we swore to defend the Constitution from all enemies, “foreign and domestic.”
No matter how Trump tries to spin it, he wasn’t and could never be the leader that service members and veterans deserve.
Biden has always supported veterans, and we must ensure that he and Vice President Kamala Harris remain in the White House in 2024 so they can continue to deliver.
Pat Spearman represents District 1 in the Nevada state Senate and served in the Army for 30 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel.
