North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and Town Councilman Peter Zuckerman attended a press conference hosted by United States Senator Chuck Schumer on Feb. 19 at the Albertson VFW.
They joined together to publicly demanded the Office of Management and Budget and the Veteran’s Administration prioritize the health and well-being of Long Island veterans by once-and-for-all ending a years-long delay of adding new conditions to the “Agent Orange presumptive conditions” list.
“I am proud to join Senator Schumer today as he advocates for our Vietnam-era veterans to get the health care coverage and benefits that they deserve,” Bosworth said. “The new VA proposal will add new conditions to the Agent Orange Exposure Health Care Benefit list and hopefully get our veterans the help they need.”
Standing at the Albertson VFW and flanked by Long Island Vietnam War vets, some of whom are suffering from Agent Orange-linked conditions, Schumer announced new action on the issue and then demanded a detailed explanation as to why the Office of Management and Budget and the Veterans Administration continue to block health care coverage and benefits for thousands of Vietnam veterans, many local, who suffer from service-related conditions that include bladder cancer and Parkinson’s.
Schumer also said a recent report he forced the administration to do was woefully insufficient and failed to properly explain why the feds are still denying veterans specific health benefits. Schumer will make the case for immediate action and local vets will speak about the fight.
Submitted by the Town of North Hempstead
