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Amata votes for Blue Water Navy Veterans Bill, co-sponsors 10 bipartisan veterans bills

Aumua Amata speaking from podium
Source: Office of the Congresswoman

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Aumua Amata voted for the bipartisan Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which she co-sponsored, and the legislation passed the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and will move on to full House consideration.

“This important bill recognizes the realities and dangers faced by the veterans who served in the Vietnam region’s waters,” said Aumua Amata. “On behalf of all our veterans, I’m pleased to see this effort to keep the national commitment to those who did their duty in wartime. On a personal note, my brother served in the U.S. Navy in the Gulf of Tonkin and other area waters during Vietnam. This bill honors their mission, and helps keep the commitments we owe all our veterans.”

Specifically, H.R. 299, would extend the presumption of service-connected diseases linked to exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange to veterans who served in the territorial seas of Vietnam, known as Blue Water Navy veterans. This is vitally important to these veterans, and an important part of keeping the nation’s commitment to keeping the nation’s promises to veterans.

Last year, Congresswoman Amata spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the Blue Water Navy Veterans. Congresswoman Amata also co-sponsored the legislation in 2018 when it passed the House; however, it did not pass the Senate before the end of the 115th Congress, so the bill was reintroduced this year with widespread support in the House.

Amata co-sponsored these bipartisan veterans bills passed by the Committee

  • Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act, H.R. 2333
  • The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, H.R. 1200
  • The VA Website Accountability Act, H.R. 1199
  • The Homeless Veteran Families Act, H.R. 95
  • The BRAVE Act, H.R. 2109
  • The Veteran HOUSE Act H.R. 2398 (expands eligibility for the HUD-VASH housing program)
  • The Home for Our Heroes Act, H.R. 2399
  • To Amend Title 38, US Code, to reduce the credit hour requirement for the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program of the VA, H.R. 2196
  • The Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William Bill Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act, H.R. 2326.