“Congress has an obligation to ensure the VA can effectively and efficiently implement any comprehensive toxic exposure legislation and, unfortunately, I continue to have reservations about the Department’s ability to do so,” Tillis said Tuesday night in a written statement.

Rowan, a Marine who also served at Camp Lejeune, represents Weatherford and others in our area who believe they were exposed. He says what's spurring all the out of town ads you're seeing is the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 that gives veterans, their spouses and anyone who was exposed to contaminated water for at least 30 days a legal path to pursue.

"The congress has just passed the Burn Pits legislation. Finally, finally, finally we're going to do justice those who we lost, as well as those who are still suffering from being exposed to the burn pits," said President Joe Biden.

CNBC's Ylan Mui joins Shep Smith to report on a major u-turn in Congress as Democrats and Republicans have reached an agreement to pass the PACT Act, which provides health and disability benefits to veterans. And economists debate the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act.

I called for this legislation in my State of the Union address, as part of my Unity Agenda to help bring together our nation. Congress has delivered a decisive and bipartisan win for America’s veterans. I want to thank Chair Tester and Ranking Member Moran as well as Chair Takano and Ranking Member Bost for their tireless work to pass this major reform, and the courageous veterans and advocates whose tenacity and heart ensured this legislation got done.

Comprehensive toxic exposure legislation that could provide new health care and disability benefits to millions of veterans is headed to the White House to become law after Senate lawmakers ended a week of turmoil surrounding the bill with a strong bipartisan vote

The reversal also came after Democrats struck a surprise deal to push through a sweeping climate, energy and tax plan this month over unified Republican opposition — a central piece of their domestic agenda that Republicans have derided as a spending spree.

“These veterans don’t have time! They’re running out of time. They need health care now, and if they don’t get it, they’re dying!” said Natalia Kempthorne-Curiel, who traveled with her father Nathan Kempthorne to the demonstration.

“These veterans don’t have time! They’re running out of time. They need health care now, and if they don’t get it, they’re dying!” said Natalia Kempthorne-Curiel, who traveled with her father Nathan Kempthorne to the demonstration.

The PACT Act would help veterans exposed to toxic chemicals, such as burn pits. It was blocked by Republican members of the US Senate last week.

Bourque knows plenty of other veterans are in worse shape, experiencing issues ranging from liver problems to cancer. He remains optimistic that those exposed to burn pits will eventually get the healthcare they need. But after the Senate rejected ”

Bourque knows plenty of other veterans are in worse shape, experiencing issues ranging from liver problems to cancer. He remains optimistic that those exposed to burn pits will eventually get the healthcare they need. But after the Senate rejected this week’s PACT Act, Bourque isn’t confident it will be passed anytime soon.

Last week, Senate Republicans blocked the passage of the PACT Act, which would expand health care access to veterans exposed to burn pits. Their opposition — ostensibly because they wanted to vote on an amendment offered by Sen. PAT TOOMEY (R-Pa.), but difficult to divorce from the broader context of Democrats’ breakthrough on reconciliation talks

Democrats are also hoping to pass the PACT Act to extend medical care to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their service, a bipartisan measure that Senate Republicans blocked last week.

“We fought for this country freely, and we expect now that people will fight for us and fight for our basic health care,” said Samantha Turner, an Army veteran who served near burn pits in Kuwait. Turner, who has sleep apnea, now uses a machine to breathe at night.

"They've gotten serious, serious conditions -- cancers, lung diseases. They've sacrificed everything. They risk life and limb and the very least we can do as a country is ensure they receive top care," Schumer said.

Plans called for an around-the-clock fire watch of advocates at the Capitol to last until Monday afternoon, when the Senate is again scheduled to vote on the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, better known as the PACT Act. The goal was to emphasize — throughout the weekend — the importance of action on the issue, even if no lawmakers were present to see it.

Biden said on the FaceTime call that the country has a “sacred obligation” to care for those who go into war and care for them and their families after they return. He said opposing the legislation is “despicable,” and he has to believe that the bill’s opponents are “going to make up for the mistake they made.”

And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would schedule another procedural vote to break a GOP filibuster on Monday, trying to force the Republicans to let it pass. As of Thursday afternoon, Schumer had not formally scheduled a vote for Monday but has the ability to call for a vote at any time.