The Senate Appropriations Committee is turning up the heat on the Veterans Affairs Department to establish a registry for troops exposed to potentially toxic fumes from open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Unhappy with the pace VA has set to establish the registry mandated by the 2012 Dignified Burial and Veterans Improvement Act, the committee on Thursday approved an amendment to the $158 billion military construction and veterans appropriations bill recommending VA inform veterans and family members about the registry and work with the Defense Department to educate troops on the possible health consequences of exposure.