Advocacy Alert: Reach out to your CT legislators today to show your support for Veteran’s health care. The CT delegation is in favor of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. Senator Blumenthal, who serves on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Rep. Jahana Hayes worked on parts of the legislation. MHC applauds our Delegation’s support for the bill, and we call on them to ensure that S.3373 – Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, which passed the House in early July and ensures that mental health is funded in connection to the PACT act, remains a priority in the Senate. Advocacy Alert 
The more our CT delegates have a show of support from constituents, the more political fuel they have to fight for increasing access to care for the more than 167,000 Connecticut veterans.
Next week (most likely Monday), Congress will vote on the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act which seeks to expand benefits for veterans and service members through a “presumption of service connection” for 23 illnesses that may have developed from their time of service due to burn pit smoke and other toxins.
“As a Vietnam veteran who was lied to by his government, disrespected by many, and left to make his way on his own by a negligent VA, watching legislators fist bump as they deny deserving veterans compensation and benefits for things their government asked them to do, makes me want to throw up. After that I just get pissed off all over again.” – Connecticut Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, also a third generation service member who served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War.
Veterans in the U.S. are denied health care every day for illnesses that are tied to their time of service.
A 2020 survey published by Statista found that 83% of all US veterans as well as active duty service men and women have experienced PTSD since the 9/11 attack, as a result of their military service. Evidence shows that individuals living with co-occurring health conditions have a decreased life span an average of 20 years.
Denying our veterans, our family and friends who serve our country and protect our way of life is unconscionable. MHC implores Congress to fight for and fund access to comprehensive health care for all Veterans and service members.
