Houston Chronicle – Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro has laid groundwork in the new Congress for an offensive to aid tens of thousands of veterans with bronchial problems and other ailments they say were caused by breathing the toxic smoke of battlefield burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Castro, D-San Antonio, plans to file bipartisan legislation this week that would add severe bronchial disease to the list of health problems that would enable treatment at no cost and possibly provide disability benefits.
