 Hi everyone I'm DAV Deputy National Legislative Director Shane Learman joined today by Senator John Tester of Montana the Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Welcome Senator Tester and really thanks for being here with us this morning. It's always great to see you Shane good to be with you too. We're going to be talking about the news yesterday that you and the committee's ranking member Senator Moran have reached a deal on the Honoring or PACT Act. This has been a very long road but it feels like that we're just one more step closer to that finish line and getting this done for veterans. We've never been closer than we are right now to getting comprehensive toxic exposure legislation enacted for veterans who've been impacted by so many different exposures. Can you speak to the importance of the bill and what it really means getting this finally across the finish line? Well it's been a long time coming Shane in my lifetime. I remember vividly the impacts and continue to hear about it today of Agent Orange and we've seen the impacts of burn pits you know previous generations this gone back to World War I and maybe even before that with mustard gas and World War I radiation and World War II and of course Agent Orange and now the the toxic exposure of burn pits and so it's been a long time coming. We've been working on this bill and earnest for over a year and a half. There have been times where it has looked pretty grim. There have been times like now where it appears that we're on the right track to get this thing passed but what it will do for our veterans of all areas is make sure that that any exposures they've had to toxins while serving this country in the military that impact their life with lung conditions or cancers or whatever it may be are covered not only today but into the future because it gives the VA a framework to deal with toxic exposure and I don't need to tell you Shane the VA has never been good at this. It's always happened you know 20, 30, 40 in the case of hypertension we're talking 50 years after the Vietnam War has ended and so this has been a long time coming. It has happened because of great organizations like the DAV and you specifically Shane stepping up and never saying never and keeping on fighting as the DAV knows what it's like to fight and that's where we're at today. That's why we're at where we are today and this is a giant step forward for our veterans. It's a giant step forward for our military and our all volunteer military as people look at whether to go into the military. If people aren't treated right that doesn't work too well and so you know live up the promises we made our veterans when they signed up and make sure they're made whole when they come back home and that's what this is about. Oh absolutely and to your point this has been I think one of the largest coalitions of VSOs that have really been pushing for this for many many years. We wouldn't be here without the work of so many other service organizations as well as how bipartisan this this issue of toxic exposure really really is. Do you have a message for your colleagues in the Senate as we draw closer to this to this vote on honoring our pack deck? So we've got more work to do. Look Moran and Bozeman and there have been others that have been great to work with on the Republican side and Takana has been great to work with over in the house but there's more to do this is going to cost some money and and I think that it is a cost of war and and so consequently we need to have 60 votes to get this out of the Senate and we are not there yet and and you know that Shane it's going to require some education moving forward I think we're going to get there but it's not going to happen without a lot of hard work by everybody and so we need to continue to educate the people of the United States Senate so we can get this done and and get this to the president's desk. This is so so important and we are so so close to making this reality that we can't take our foot off the gas feed one moment we have to continue to push we have to continue to talk about the challenges that our military are experiencing here back at home after toxic exposure and and we need to get this done and get it in a rear view mirror. We got a lot of work to do I've talked to Senator Schumer he plans on putting his bill on the floor right after Memorial Day so we've got about three weeks to double down and get her done educate people and hold them accountable. Well exactly and that's your point that DED and other RSOs are doing a lot of outreach meeting with a lot of Senate offices right now as well as using social media and op-eds and other things to get the word out and I think the real important part for everybody to understand is this is going to affect so many generations of veterans they're adding in hypertension for Vietnam veterans they're expanding the locations of Agent Orange for Vietnam veterans then it's also increasing the radiation risk activities for veterans exposed to radiation then we get into burn pits and the 23 diseases being added and let's not forget about the registry for veterans who served at Fort McClown this is I got to be honest one of the most impressive pieces of toxin use load exposure legislation that really has been entertained we're excited we're going to continue to push and is there anything else you would like to add senator tester before we close well what I would add is this when we have the joint house and senate VA committees I always lead off in my opening statement by saying I'll take my direction for the people who have served from the veteran service organizations from the folks who are members of DAV and others I think it's really critically important back here in Washington DC that we do listen to what the needs are and that we try to get people on the same page and guess what happened with the toxic, toxic legislation all the VSOs were on board with maybe one exception and the bottom line is that that makes a big difference moving forward we need to continue to speak with one voice and continue to educate people and continue to get this baby across the finish line we're too close to fail now and so that is not an option we have to win this fight it's too important for this nation it's too important for this nation's security and it's doing right by the people who have served this country we need to step up and get it done and and I have no doubt that the folks that are watching this video are going to be asking how can I help how can I move this ball forward how can we make sure this becomes reality and get it to President Biden's death for signature if we if we all step up if we all join hands if we all educate if we all hope people accountable if we all talk about the situation and why this legislation has to be passed we will be successful and I want to thank you Shane and I want to thank the DAV for allowing me to say just what I said well thank you senator tester this has been a long fight and there are so many veterans still suffering hopefully this legislation is going to help a lot of veterans with healthcare benefits and everything we're fighting for so thank you again for joining us today senator tester very pleased to be able to have you with us and DAV is fully behind the honoring our pact act and we encourage everybody who's watching every viewer whether you're a veteran or a family member of veteran or not please reach out to your senators and let them know they must vote yes on the pact act thanks senator thank you