Ten senators have come together to sponsor a substantive resolution that calls for equality in Agent Orange disability compensation by including Guam civilian residents who were exposed to the chemical and are suffering from ailments caused by that exposure.
Resolution No. 29-37 asks that the U.S. Congress appropriate money for Guam’s nonmilitary residents exposed to the infamous herbicide.
According to Sen. Jesse Lujan, the resolution’s author, “the dates of exposure should be at a minimum the same dates as when military people are covered under the new PACT Act for their time when exposed on Guam.”
By federal statute, those dates are Jan. 9, 1962, to July 31, 1980.
“The intent of the resolution is for nonmilitary residents of Guam to receive recognition for their suffering due to Agent Orange exposure, as their military counterparts finally did with the passing of the ‘PACT Act’ of 2022,” Lujan said in a press release.
The federal legislation that promises to provide herbicide exposure coverage for Vietnam War veterans who served in Guam, America Samoa, Johnston Atoll and other locations was passed in August 2022. It is officially known as The Sergeant 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, shortened to the PACT Act.
Post files state that more than 3.5 million veterans are expected to benefit from the legislation.
The section of the measure providing a presumption of service connection for disease associated with exposure to certain herbicides on Guam and other regions is called the Veterans Agent Orange Exposure Equity Act of 2022, Post files further stated.
“It was a real battle to get the U.S. military and U.S. government to recognize Agent Orange exposure on Guam. The veterans deserve the recognition and compensation available with the passage PACT Act. Now we must fight for the nonmilitary civilians and residents of Guam who were also exposed to Agent Orange, and make sure that these residents are eligible for similar recognition and compensation,” Lujan stated.
At the time of the PACT Act’s passage, Speaker Therese Terlaje noted that the Guam Legislature has passed several resolutions each term to support congressional legislation that addressed the environmental and health impacts of toxic contamination and exposure, including Agent Orange, radiation exposure and nuclear testing cleanup on veterans and the people of Guam, according to Post files.
Years of effort
The passage of the PACT Act took years of advocating by groups such as Agent Orange Survivors of Guam and local lawmakers.
“This resolution is the first step in asking the US Congress and the Biden administration to include nonmilitary civilians and residents of Guam who were exposed to Agent Orange. They also deserve justice and dignity,” Lujan said in the release.
With the introduction of Resolution 29-37 now, added to the years it took for the PACT Act to pass, how likely is it that civilians exposed to Agent Orange will see any compensation before death?
“A campaign of this nature should be viewed as ‘better late than never.’ And all interested people should try to help give momentum to the campaign,” Lujan told The Guam Daily Post.
The Guam Daily Post also asked Lujan how many civilian Guam residents have been documented as having ailments tied to Agent Orange exposure.
“About ten civilian constituents have indirectly approached me on this issue. But I suspect a lot more people will come forward since the dates of exposure should be the same dates covered for military personnel exposed to Agent Orange while stationed on Guam,” he said.
Resolution 29-37 was introduced by Lujan, along with co-sponsors Vice Speaker Tina Muña Barnes and Sens. Frank Blas Jr., Telo Taitague, Christopher Duenas, William Parkinson, Joanne Brown, Dwayne San Nicolas, Roy Quinata and Sabina Perez.
By: Jolene Toves
Source: Guam Daily Post