Biden says he would have been engaged in a “holy war” if Congress failed to pass the Toxic Drugs Act in a speech over the deaths of son Beau, his uncle, who served in the Battle of the Bulge, and a 102-year-old World War II veteran fire pits would have passed
- Biden delivered remarks at Major Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center, named for his son, who died of brain cancer in 2015
- “I drive by this building a lot for Air Force One to fly back and forth to Washington, and I always get a lump in my throat,” Biden said
- “We are determined or determined to do something about it. Come to hell or high water,” Biden said of the fire pit legislation
President Biden vowed Friday that there would have been a “holy war” had Congress not passed legislation expanding health care for veterans exposed to cremation pits.
Biden delivered remarks at the Maj. Joseph R. ‘Beau’ Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center, named for his son, who died in 2015 from a brain tumor that the president attributes to his son’s service in Iraq.
“I drive by this building a lot for Air Force One to fly back and forth to Washington, and I always get a lump in my throat,” Biden said.
“Do you know what a burn pit is? It is a hole between 8 and 10 feet high and 12 feet deep. The size of a soccer field, big big rectangle. And every damn ugly thing in the world got burned. All. All. Toxic waste, everything,” Biden said.
“I’m not a doctor, but it’s pretty clear that a lot of men and women get sick,” he added. “It’s not unique to me and my family.”
“We are determined or determined to do something about it. Come to hell or high tide,” Biden said. “I made it very clear to the United States Congress that if they didn’t pass this damn burn pit law I would be going to holy war, no kidding.”
Biden then revealed that his uncle Frank Biden fought in the Battle of the Bulge and won the Purple Heart but never received it. When Joe Biden became president, he was given his uncle’s Purple Heart and presented it to him at home.
Biden said his uncle told him, “I don’t want the damn thing,” adding, “The others died. I lived.’
Biden is pictured with 102-year-old WWII veteran Ray
“We are determined or determined to do something about it. Come to hell or high tide,” Biden said. “I made it really clear to the United States Congress that if they didn’t pass this damn burn pit law I was going to have a holy war, no kidding.”
The Battle of the Bulge was Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive in Belgium during World War II. It was the deadliest battle ever for the US Army, which suffered 100,000 casualties.
Biden then paid tribute to a 102-year-old veteran who he said flew 25 missions over Germany during World War II.
“First lieutenant, young man, 102 years old, Ray,” Biden said. “My claim to fame is that I used to be his district councilor!”
Biden signed into law the PACT Act in August. It passed the Senate by a vote of 86 to 11 after a back-and-forth over GOP concerns about its funding.
The law relieved the burden of proof on veterans suffering from a variety of diseases from asthma to terminal cancer after exposure to toxins in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We learned a terrible lesson about the harmful effects of Agent Orange after Vietnam,” Biden said. “Agent Orange has been thrown on a hell of a lot of people. They got all kinds of diseases, but they couldn’t prove it – you had to be able to prove it.’
“We have insisted you don’t – all you have to do is prove you were affected by the landing on your head.”
VA benefits for eligibility for health care have also been expanded for approximately 3.5 million veterans, according to the Pentagon.
The measures added 23 respiratory diseases and cancers linked to toxic burn pits and eased the way for veterans suffering from them to seek treatment.
All veterans are now screened for toxic exposures at VA hospital appointments as well.