The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a legislative hearing Feb. 3 on several bills, including the Susan E. Lukas 9/11 Servicemember Fairness Act, a top priority for the Reserve Organization of America.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), and co sponsored by Reps. Don Beyer (VA-08), Bobby Scott (VA-03), and Rob Wittman (VA-01) would establish a presumption of service connection for servicemembers who served at the Pentagon between Sept. 11 and Nov. 19, 2001.
ROA submitted a detailed statement for the record in support of the legislation.
For the hearing, Lukas traveled from her home in Virginia to meet with lawmakers and staff and was recognized by the subcommittee for her service.
“I am profoundly grateful to Rep. Subramanyam for championing this legislation,” Lukas said. “On 9/11, I was serving at the Pentagon and was required to return to duty the very next day, unaware that the environment we were exposed to would have lasting consequences for our health.”
Subcommittee Chairman Morgan Luttrell (TX-08) pressed Department of Veterans Affairs officials during the hearing and urged movement on the matter despite opposition from the VA.
ROA expects the bill to advance to a markup in the coming months and will include it as a key advocacy issue during its March Leaders Meeting.
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