With bipartisan assist in 2022, the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act pledged compensation for veterans uncovered to poisonous substances like burn pits and dangerous chemical compounds. Two years later, the act was cited for contributing to a historic price range shortfall with the Division of Veterans Affairs.
With tens of millions of veterans’ advantages in danger, Congress has been compelled to take motion.
Most not too long ago, in response to a February 5 press release from the workplace of Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), “[Legislation is being offered] to ascertain higher accountability and oversight of the Division of Veterans Affairs (VA) after a surprising multi-billion-dollar price range shortfall in 2024 adopted by a multi-billion-dollar surplus two months later.”
The member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) and 10 further senators launched the Defending Common Order (PRO) for Veterans Act to handle the “price range debacle.”
As famous by the press launch, “The Professional VETS Act will institute a three-year requirement for the VA to supply quarterly, in-person price range experiences to Congress to encourage higher oversight and monetary accountability, and likewise withhold bonuses for senior VA and Workplace of Administration and Price range (OMB) personnel if there are future monetary shortfalls.”
In an try and deflect blame away from mismanagement final yr, the company was fast to quote the PACT Act as the important thing driver of the price range shortfall. VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes stated, “Proper now, due largely to the historic PACT Act, VA is delivering extra care and extra advantages to extra veterans than ever earlier than.”
For a lot of veterans, like Fleeman and Navy veteran Dr. Crisanna Shackelford, accountability and transparency are required of an company running itself into the ground.
Talking of accountability, this fraud should be addressed instantly. The VA issued a fraudulent SOP observe prohibiting claims processors from classifying mandated COVID-19 injections as a poisonous publicity danger exercise (TERA), regardless of clear proof they qualify. With out this observe,…
— Sonny Fleeman (@SonnyFleeman) February 6, 2025
Following the above post on X, The Gateway Pundit spoke to Sonny Fleeman, who emphasised that the views and opinions expressed on this article are solely his personal and don’t replicate the official insurance policies, positions, or views of the VA, the US Authorities, or any group or employer, present or former, with which he’s or has been affiliated.
The federal whistleblower revealed that whereas the VA tried accountable the PACT Act as the first explanation for a price range shortfall, “their public statements occurred to coincide with a major spike in vaccine-related health issues and injuries.” For him, “this isn’t a coincidence; it’s another ignored contributor to the monetary pressure.”
“The extraordinary rise in already service-connected improve claims following the COVID-19 photographs can’t be attributed to the PACT Act,” Fleeman argued, explaining that “it solely applies to new claims for service connection.” He’s significantly involved concerning the Poisonous Publicity Threat Exercise (TERA) provision of the PACT Act.
A regular working process observe inside the PACT Act excludes vaccines and drugs from being thought-about below TERA, making use of a stricter commonplace than all different poisonous exposures.
Picture: Screenshot from Feds for Freedom Substack Article
“The VA already concedes poisonous exposures below TERA when they’re according to the circumstances of a veteran’s service, together with occupational and environmental dangers,” Fleeman defined. “But, this observe arbitrarily blocks vaccine-related exposures from being evaluated the identical manner.”
“With out it,” he argued, “the COVID-19 mRNA injections must be thought-about a army occupational publicity below TERA, similar to some other poisonous danger veterans confronted in service.”
The VA can not declare to evaluate poisonous exposures pretty whereas making a particular exemption for vaccines by means of “an SOP loophole,” he argued. “All of the VA Secretary has to do is take away this fraudulent SOP observe, and each veteran who was injected by the army could be coated.”
And because it stands, Fleeman additionally steered: “[this provision] successfully obscures the fallout from the photographs.”
He identified that “the VA acknowledges poisonous publicity below TERA for army occupational hazards, asbestos, and different service-related exposures—even when long-term well being results are unsure—however then arbitrarily excludes vaccines and drugs.”
“If TERA is meant to cowl all potential poisonous exposures from army service, then there’s no legitimate purpose to preemptively exempt vaccines,” he supplied. “Somewhat, the COVID-19 photographs must be evaluated below TERA like some other publicity.”
However in response to him, “This coverage isn’t based mostly on proof; it’s a deliberate carve-out to forestall claims.” The VA can not declare to observe a scientific commonplace whereas “making use of totally different guidelines to totally different exposures based mostly on coverage comfort,” he added.
“The VA now concedes publicity to all types of poisonous hazards so long as the information and circumstances align with the veteran’s service, aside from a couple of obvious exclusions: vaccines and drugs.”
Fleeman hopes that President Donald Trump’s newly confirmed decide for VA secretary not solely embraces transparency but additionally truthful compensation for all poisonous exposures, together with these attributable to vaccines.
Doug Collins, an Air Power reserve chaplain and former GOP congressman, was simply confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday.
