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Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) joined his colleagues in voting to pass H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which would expand benefits for veterans who are suffering from diseases they received as a result of their service during the Vietnam War. The bill, which was co-sponsored by Congressman Latta, was approved on the House floor by a vote of 382-0.

“Despite research showing that veterans that served aboard ships off the coast of Vietnam may have developed conditions due to Agent Orange exposure, they don’t automatically qualify for disability compensation,” said Latta. “These men and women served with honor, and it’s the right thing to do to expand these benefits to “Blue Water Navy” veterans. I’ve been a cosponsor of this legislation for a number of years, and I applaud the bipartisan action in the House to pass this bill.”

Under the Agent Orange Act of 1991, a veteran that served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 and has a disease that has been associated with Agent Orange is automatically presumed to have been exposed to the chemical. Therefore, they qualify for disability compensation with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However, a 2002 interpretation by the VA has limited this automatic presumption of agent orange exposure to those that served on the ground in Vietnam or in any of the inland waterways (“Brown Water” veterans). H.R. 299 restores presumptive coverage for “Blue Water” veterans that served in the territorial seas in of Vietnam.

During the Vietnam War, more than 20 million gallons of the herbicide “Agent Orange” were sprayed to reduce jungle foliage. The herbicide has been linked to non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, various cancers, Type II Diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. 

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