Noteboom The Law Firm

Senator Burr Questions Agent Orange Compensation

September 24, 2010 - Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the top Republican on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee has weighed in on the Agent Orange list of presumptive disabilities. According to Burr, heart disease is too common of a disease in older adults to warrant spending the billons of dollars in disability compensation related to Agent Orange exposure. Burr is putting himself in line with Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), who has also questioned the presence of heart disease on the presumptive list.

Placing heart disease on the presumptive disease list will allow tens of thousands of veterans to collect disability compensation. Unless Congress blocks the VA's plan to include heart disease on the presumptive disease list along with Parkinson's disease and certain leukemias, it will go onto the list at the end of October. The VA expects to pay about $67 billion over the next 10 years to pay for these 3 diseases alone.  

Burr also takes issue with the requirement that in order to receive benefits, veterans must have only served a single day in Vietnam. Proponents of the VA's plan say it is unreasonable to expect veterans to prove their particular illness is directly related to Agent Orange on a case-by-case basis.

If Congress does not act, the VA's plan will take effect and thousands of veterans will begin applying for disability benefits. Should Congress not agree with Burr and not take a closer look at the word "exposure," the presumptive disease list will grow.