In sum, on Tuesday, the committee will vote on a proposal to allow the consideration of approximately 350 pending nominations in a single parliamentary move, a drastic departure from the chamber's previous practice. The idea is likely to easily pass out of committee, but it will face greater challenges in the full Senate, where Republican support would be required for final ratification.
Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, has been obstructing fast-track consideration of regular senior military promotions and confirmations since the spring because of his opposition to the Defense Department's abortion access policy. Several Republican colleagues have urged him to drop the holds, stressing the cascading leadership issues produced by the decision.
In addition, The Department of Veterans Affairs is conducting a scientific review to determine whether acute leukemias, chronic leukemias, and multiple myeloma should be covered by the PACT Act, which was passed last year and expanded benefit eligibility for veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places and were exposed to burn pits or other battlefield pollutants.
When cancer begins in the head or neck, multiple myeloma is already deemed a presumed condition under the law. Lymphoma, which arises in the lymph system, is included, but leukemias, which are similar to lymphoma, are not.
Veterans' advocates advocated the inclusion of these illnesses as service-connected ailments in public comment as part of the VA's study, citing former service members who are sick and are now dying.
And lastly, according to data published Thursday by the Pew Research Center, these veterans, who number fewer than 120,000, will no longer be required to make copayments, pay enrollment fees, or monthly premiums, regardless of their disability ratings or priority category in the VA health system.
After a record-breaking year of providing health care and benefits to veterans – largely due to the PACT Act, which added hundreds of thousands of new beneficiaries to VA rolls – VA officials announced several new initiatives to improve health care and expanded several programs to attract more veterans.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guards and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!
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