Courtney & Van Drew Re-Introduce Bill to Honor Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange

NORWICH, CT - Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) re-introduced the Agent Orange Service Medal Act, a bill to honor veterans exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides during their service.

"The Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 extended care and benefits to thousands of veterans exposed to Agent Orange during their service. There's more work to be done, and while we build on the PACT Act to ensure every veteran receives the care and benefits they've earned, we should also continue honoring veterans' service and sacrifice," Courtney said. "The Agent Orange Service Medal Act would provide veterans and their families with a tangible token of our nation's enduring gratitude. I'm glad to join Congressman Van Drew to re-introduce this bill. In a Congress that is frequently defined by division, leaders should bring more bipartisan veterans bills to the floor for a vote."

"Too many of our Vietnam veterans came home carrying invisible wounds from Agent Orange and are still dealing with the consequences decades later," said Congressman Van Drew. "We now know that exposure to this toxic chemical, which was used to clear dense vegetation in the war, is linked to serious illnesses, including cancers and chronic conditions that have impacted thousands of veterans and their families. These men and women answered the call to serve, and they deserve to know their country sees them, respects them, and remembers what they went through. This bill establishes a dedicated service medal to formally recognize those who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. We owe them much more, but this is one step toward honoring their sacrifice and giving them the respect they have long deserved."

The Agent Orange Service Medal Act directs the Secretary of Defense to create a commemorative medal recognizing veterans who suffer from medical conditions associated with herbicide exposure.

Eligibility would include veterans receiving compensation under sections 1116, 1116A, or 1116B of title 38, United States Code, as well as Vietnam-era herbicide-exposed veterans as defined by VA statute. Upon certification by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the medal would be issued at the veteran's request, and next-of-kin could apply in cases where the veteran is deceased.

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