Jon Stewart has blasted Republicans for opposing US President Joe Biden’s so-called “war on toxins” in the wake of his State of the Union address.
Speaking about Mr Biden’s “war on toxins” on Wednesday, the comedian and campaigner for veterans blasted Republicans for not supporting a bill already working its way through Congress which would improve access to health care for veterans suffering from toxic exposure.
“F*** that,” Mr Stewart said of an amendment from congressman Mike Bost last month, that Mr Stewart said would “switch” access to targeted health care for veterans to ordinary health care coverage.
“There’s going to be an amendment, and that amendment from ranking member Bost is going to say, ‘Hey, all these veteran service organisations and all these active military members have come together with Chairman Takano and Speaker Pelosi and the president of the United States, and they have designed a bill that will comprehensively address the urgent need in the veterans’ community,’” Mr Stewart argued.
“And ranking member Bost’s amendment is going to say, ‘Damn, that’s good work, so why don’t we just switch that out for five more years of health care? We good? Thanks guys, we’re good.’ F*** that, not happening,” added Mr Stewart.
He was speaking alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mark Takano, the chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, who were at the press briefing held by Burn Pits 360, a campaign group for veterans exposed to toxins.
The Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 – although approved at the committee level – has yet to be introduced in the full Congress. A vote on the House floor is expected soon.
The bill would enable veterans exposed to toxins to receive health care, but Republican opposition to its contents, including that by Mr Bost, is thought to have held the bill back.
Mr Stewart’s rebuttal of Mr Bost came hours after Mr Biden mentioned how his own son, Beau, died of cancer in 2015 after serving in the US military and that he personally wanted to address the issue during his Tuesday night State of the Union address.
The president, however, was heckled by Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who accused him of being responsible for the deaths of 13 service members who were killed during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan last August.
Ms Boebert was widely ridiculed for choosing the very moment Mr Biden mentioned US veterans and his son’s death to deliver the loudest heckling of the night.
He said his administration would take action on toxic exposure among ex-US Army members, many of whom were exposed to toxic burn pits that were used to burn off hazardous waste.
Mr Biden announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs will “expanding eligibility to veterans suffering from nine respiratory cancers”.
His son Beau Biden died of brain cancer, although it is unclear if that stemmed from his time serving in Iraq.
