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The U.S. Owes Veterans. A New Burn-Pit Bill Would Write That Into Law. So Why Are Republicans Opposing It?
The past few days has given us what feels like a very 2022 political spectacle, with comedian Jon Stewart and Texas Senator Ted Cruz exchanging potshots with each other via videos on social media. The source of the squabble is a new bill the Senate is considering called the PACT Act, which would expand federal spending on healthcare for veterans suffering from chronic illnesses, including cancer, caused by exposure to burn pits and other toxic chemicals.
The PACT Act is one of those rare bills that enjoys bipartisan support: back in June, the Senate voted to pass the bill by a vote of 84–14, and Cruz was among those voting for it. But after a technicality required the Senate to vote again on the bill this past week, a host of Republicans, including Cruz, flipped and voted against allowing it to come to a vote. They say they did so because the bill includes a budgetary gimmick that would allow Democrats to spend up to $400 billion over ten years on things unrelated to veteran care, which they want excised from the bill.
Now, as Stewart has pointed out, the bill that came up for a vote last week was no different from the bill that the Senate passed in June. There was no new provision added to it. So it’s not clear why something that most…
