FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from the office of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
Monday,
April 28, 2025
Contact: Rashida.Press@mail.house.gov
Tlaib
Marks 50th Anniversary of End of Vietnam War with Legislative
Package to Bring Justice for Victims of Agent Orange
WASHINGTON,
D.C. — Today, Congresswoman
Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) introduced the Victims of Agent Orange Act
and the Agent Orange Relief Act for the 50th
anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, a legislative package to address the
ongoing harms and legacy of the United States’ spraying of approximately 19
million gallons of Agent Orange and other deadly herbicides throughout Vietnam,
Laos, and Cambodia.
“Together,
these two bills serve as an act of repair for the profound harms caused by the
United States’ use of Agent Orange and other herbicides. Agent Orange exposure
continues to negatively affect the lives of American veterans, Vietnamese
people, Vietnamese Americans, and their children,” said Congresswoman Tlaib.
“The lives of many victims are cut short, and others live with disease,
disabilities, and pain, which are often untreated or unrecognized. As we mark
50 years after the United States’ withdrawal from Vietnam, it is time to meet
our moral and legal obligations to heal the wounds inflicted by these
atrocities.”
Studies
have found that between 2.1 million and 4.8 million Vietnamese, Lao, and
Cambodian people and tens of thousands of Americans were exposed to Agent
Orange during these spraying operations. Many other Vietnamese people were or
continue to be exposed to Agent Orange through contact with the environment and
food that was contaminated. Many descendants of those who were exposed have
birth defects, developmental disabilities, and deadly diseases.
The
Agent Orange Relief Act
provides benefits
for children of male U.S. veterans who served in Vietnam affected by birth
defects, a group left behind under current law which only covers birth defects
for children of women veterans; supports greater research into Agent
Orange-related health issues; and directs a health assessment and provision of
assistance for affected Vietnamese American communities.
The full
text of the legislation is available here.
The
Victims of Agent Orange Act
supports medical
care and related assistance for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange; provides
environmental remediation for areas in Vietnam exposed to Agent Orange; and
directs a health assessment and provision of assistance for affected Vietnamese
American communities.
The full
text of the legislation is available here.
This
legislation is cosponsored by Reps.
André Carson (IN-07), Sarah McBride (DE), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Lateefah
Simon (CA-12), and Shri Thanedar (MI-13).
“Thank you
to Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for sponsoring these two important pieces of
legislation aimed at healing the victims of the American War in Vietnam: the
children of American male Vietnam veterans born with birth defects from Agent
Orange/dioxin and the harmed people and land of Vietnam,” said Susan
Schnall, President of Veterans For Peace and a co-coordinator of the Vietnam
Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign. “The United States
government used Agent Orange as an instrument of war from 1961-1971 on Vietnam,
its people, and American soldiers on the ground. As we commemorate the
50th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam, we celebrate these two pieces
of legislation that promote healing for the American people and the Vietnamese
people harmed and cleanup of the contaminated land in Vietnam.”
“Thank
you, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, for sponsoring the two Agent Orange Acts of
2025,” said Ngo Thanh Nhan, a co-coordinator of Vietnam Agent Orange Relief
and Responsibility Campaign. “The Southeast Asian communities have victims
of Agent Orange and were invisible to the public so far. These are very
important acts for our communities in the U.S. to support and it takes great
courage for Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib to show this example of solidarity.”
This
legislation is endorsed by
the Quincy Institute, Veterans For Peace, Vietnam
Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign, CommonDefense.us, Minnesota
Peace Project, and Action Corps.
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