Veterans Deserve Care, Not More Debt

The House of Representatives is set to vote on the Honoring our PACT Act of 2021 to provide additional benefits to veterans because of exposure to toxic fumes from burn pits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the House version of the bill would increase the debt by $208 billion over the next decade because the bill is not offset. The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:

If ever there were a worthy cause, and something worth paying for, this is it. It should go without question that we provide veterans who have been harmed by burn pits during their service all the necessary care to address their injuries. Why then is the House scheduled to vote on a bill that does not to pay for this urgent priority and would add over $200 billion to our debt? There is no excuse.

Lawmakers should pass a bill providing our harmed veterans with all the care they need and they should do so without asking our kids to pay the bill.

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For more information, please contact Kim McIntyre, Director of Media Relations, at mcintyre@crfb.org