House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed HR 299 — the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act — on Tuesday after it was unanimously passed by both the House and the Senate, and she gave one of the pens used to sign the bill to AUSN, one of several veterans organizations who stood behind her for the ceremony. Pelosi was joined by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano and Ranking Member Phil Roe.
HR 299 now awaits the president’s signature. The bill provides Veterans Affairs benefits to tens of thousands of Navy Vietnam veterans who served aboard ship and were exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange despite not setting foot on land.
You can watch the full ceremony below:
Join now as I host military & veteran organizations for a ceremony in honor of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019: a bill that finally provides long-overdue VA benefits to tens of thousands of Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange. https://t.co/SzsgJNHChI
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) June 18, 2019
