Thursday, July 19, 2012

Lejeune water contamination bill passes Senate

Despite hesitance from a South Carolina senator, the bill that will give thousands of sick Marine veterans and their families health care for illnesses contracted from decades of water contamination on Camp Lejeune has passed the Senate.

After Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., brought the bill to the Senate floor Wednesday and asked for unanimous consent, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., agreed to pass the bill under the provision that anti-fraud language, which is already part of current law with respect to other veterans benefits, be included in the bill.

Murray and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the bill’s lead sponsor, agreed to insert the language that says care for sick veterans can only be denied if it can be proven that the individual’s illnesses was not caused by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The bill was voted on in the Senate and passed by unanimous consent Wednesday evening.

Read the entire article here.

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