At the Fort Worth VA Clinic, President Biden Meets with Fort Worth Veterans

At the Fort Worth VA Clinic, President Biden Meets with Fort Worth Veterans

President Joe Biden’s trip Tuesday to Fort Worth was personal — a chance to talk with veterans and their caregivers and push for more help for members of the military who face health problems after exposure to burn pits.

In last week’s State of the Union address, Biden raised the prospect of whether being near the chemicals from burn pits in Iraq led to the death of his son, Beau.

“We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer or the diseases of so many of our troops,” Biden said in the speech. “But I’m committed to finding out everything we can.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that Biden will be traveling with Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough. They planned to visit the VA clinic in Fort Worth, with remarks to follow at the Tarrant County Resource Connection.

Biden's remarks covered “expanding access to health care and benefits for veterans affected by exposure to harmful substances, toxins and other environmental hazards, including those from burn pits.”

Biden will also call on Congress to send him a bill that protects veterans who face health consequences after burn pit exposure. The House passed a bill Thursday that would provide VA health care to millions of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who meet that criteria.

“One of the reasons he’s coming to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, specifically, is because it has a large veterans population,” said Meghan Hays, special assistant to Biden. “This is also a part of his unity message that he announced during the State of the Union. This is a bipartisan effort for him.“

“We’re working with Mayor Parker’s office, which has been incredibly helpful,” Hays said. “We’re also traveling with a bipartisan congressional delegation from Texas, so this is incredibly important.”

“Him being here highlights the importance of the state and the issues, and it also shows the action that his administration is willing to take in order to deliver results for people across our state and, essentially, individuals all across the country,” said Kendyll Locke, Tarrant County Democratic Party vice-chairperson. “So, we’re just excited to have him here and just excited about the message that this sends.”

Biden’s son, Beau, was a major in an Army National Guard unit that deployed to Iraq in 2008. The two-term Delaware attorney general was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013 and died two years later.

It is difficult to link toxic exposure to a specific individual’s medical condition. The concentration of toxic material is often well below the levels needed for immediate poisoning. Still, the VA’s own hazardous materials exposure website, along with scientists and doctors, says military personnel do face risks and dangers after being exposed to contaminants.

John Jones is a retired staff sergeant with the U.S. Marine Corps. Jones was severely injured during his second tour in Iraq, losing both of legs. He underwent two years of rehabilitation in San Antonio and still has family in Texas. He retired in 2007 and said he has experienced the long-term effects of exposure to burn pits.

"Whenever we have forest fires and smoke up in the air, I can’t do it. My lungs just won’t accept it. I cough all the time. You have respiratory problems," he said Tuesday.

Jones is now with the America's Warrior Partnership, a national non-profit group based in Augusta, Georgia. The organization's goal is to support community-based veterans programs and partner with communities to help prevent veteran suicide.

"Government has known we’ve been burning trash for multi-generations. The VA should know, well…there’s probably some effects to what goes on with the burn pits and things of that nature," he said. "It shouldn’t have been brought now. It should been handled 75 years ago."

NBC 5's Samantha Davies says drivers may encounter traffic delays around the Fort Worth VA Clinic.

Source: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/president-biden-to-visit-fort-worth-tuesday/2904886/