MEDIA ADVISORY
Impacted Veterans Will Share Personal Stories
U.S. Representatives Brian Mast (FL-18) and Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), along with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), will hold a press conference with supporters of the Burn Pits Accountability Act (H.R. 5671) on Thursday, May 17, 2018.
WHO:
Rep. Mast
Rep. Gabbard (HI-02)
Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
Supporting veterans, veteran service organizations (VSOs), and military service organizations (MSOs)
WHEN:
Thursday, May 17, 2018
10:00 a.m.
WHERE:
House Triangle
United States Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20004
*Rain location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room Number 2216
**A live stream will be available for Florida press on Rep. Mast’s Facebook page.
WHAT:
The bipartisan Burn Pits Accountability Act will evaluate servicemembers’ exposure to open burn pits and toxic airborne chemicals to begin the process of understanding, assessing, and treating these service-related ailments. Over 140,000 servicemembers and veterans have reported exposure to burn pits and toxic airborne chemicals over the past three decades. Exposure can produce serious and potentially life-threatening health effects, including neurological disorders, rare forms of cancer, lung diseases, and more—triggering some to call the crisis the ‘Agent Orange’ of the post-9/11 generation.
The IAVA recently announced that they are honoring Rep. Mast with their annual “Salutes Award for Leadership in Government.” Rep. Gabbard was the 2017 honoree.
