Veteran Affairs committee hold hearing on “burn pits”
A hearing is being dedicated solely to the issue of “burn pits” for the first time in the house veterans affairs committee on Capitol Hill.
Congressman Doctor Raul Ruiz held a joint press conference Thursday morning with other representatives and veterans to share the stories and struggles they face, they believe, from burn pit exposure.
Last year, in an I-Team investigation, News Channel 3’s John White highlighted the story of Jennifer Kepner who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 39.
Ruiz spoke at her funeral and believes her cancer was the result of burn pits used to dispose of trash on military bases.
“Ask those young veterans who are young and healthy enough to fight in our wars, who are coming back suffering from auto-immune diseases, who are permanently disabled. Ask those who have died from multiple different types of cancers if this is severe enough,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz says more needs to be done but the first steps include educating veterans about early signs of illness. The department of defense admits burn pits are connected to some illnesses but haven’t confirmed a connection to cancer and other diseases.
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Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
