The upper chamber must pass the measure again, as the House version of the bill includes technical changes from the measure passed last month. The bill then heads to President Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it.

During House Floor remarks earlier this month, Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) spoke about The Honoring Our PACT Act.

The bill contains two major components. First, it extends the grace period by which military veterans serving near burn pits can get medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Their eligibility for veterans affairs care will double from five years after their discharge to 10 years.

"The Honoring our PACT Act, which I cosponsored, is historic legislation that will provide millions of toxic-exposed veterans the benefits they deserve.

During House Floor remarks last week, Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) spoke about The Honoring Our PACT Act.

According to the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, Camp Lejeune had toxins contaminating the drinking water from the 1950s through 1987. The chemicals are known to cause several cancers as well as miscarriages.

An estimated 900,000 or more people were exposed and assumedly affected by the toxic water resulting in cancer, organ failure, reproductive issues and more. The act permits affected people the opportunity to seek reparations for illness, injury and death from exposure to the contaminated water.

During House Floor remarks last Wednesday, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) spoke about The Honoring Our PACT Act.

No word on when exactly the Senate will hold another vote, but the bill is expected to pass again and head to the President for his signature.

Only the PACT Act, supporting the medical needs of veterans, is good on its merits, but the bill fails to find spending offsets.

“The OIG’s findings are alarming, and highlight the urgent need for the Senate to take immediate action on my Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act and get it to the President’s desk as quickly as possible. The bottom line is that when it comes to getting veterans the health care and benefits they’ve earned, VA needs to get it right the first time. We’ve got to pass the comprehensive measures in the PACT Act that’ll reform the toxic-exposure claims process and finally recognize and treat the toxic wounds of war.”

Toomey said Thursday he is still concerned about the funding shift and is “likely” to object to any unanimous consent request to let the veterans bill sail through, but that no one has presented him with any proposal yet so “these are procedural hypotheticals.”

“You know, they, the BA says the D-O-D the government says, no, you, your spouse did not die as a result of, of his service. So you get nothing. We need people to know that this is what the VA is doing to our war heroes, who willingly went off to war and fought for our country. And when they, if they returned sick, it's tough luck you're on your own.”

To others, Camp Lejeune represents a place that did not adequately protect young families. A 2003 federal study concluded that the rate of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly (a condition in which part of the brain or skull is missing), was 265 times higher in babies connected with Camp Lejeune than the national average.

Our veterans put themselves in harm’s way to protect our nation and we made a promise to protect them when they returned home. But, too often, the federal government has not kept its promise.

“When we send our servicemembers into harm’s way, we do so with the promise that we will take care of them when they come home,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “I was glad to vote again for the bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act to expand access to care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances and airborne hazards during their service to our country.”

I dedicated my life to the Marine Corps. For almost 25 years, I served this country and trained thousands of recruits. I spent nearly 12 years at Camp Lejeune, where my youngest daughter Janey was conceived. For the entirety of her first trimester—a crucial period for development—Janey’s mother unknowingly consumed water filled with known carcinogens such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE).

"Senator Toomey has blocked it. And now he wants to introduce amendments completely rewriting the way that it's paid for out of some false and very convenient fiscal concern that he never had for the defense budget or for the wars that created these toxic exposure difficulties in the first place," comedian and activist Jon Stewart said in an interview with Fox News.

“It’s our job to provide those vets and their survivors with benefits and care for those conditions and if passed, the PACT Act will finally do that,” McDonough said. “This is a monumental moment for veterans and a monumental moment for our partnership as well.”

“Senator Toomey has blocked it. And now he wants to introduce amendments completely rewriting the way that it’s paid for out of some false and very convenient fiscal concern that he never had for the defense budget or for the wars that created these toxic exposure difficulties in the first place,” comedian and activist Jon Stewart said in an interview with Fox News.