WASHINGTON —The U.S. Senate this week unanimously passed a bill to provide additional compensation to some victims of the mysterious “Havana Syndrome” attacks around the world that were first reported at the U.S. Embassy in Havana in 2016.
Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Susan Collins of Maine first introduced the bill, titled the Havana Act, in December 2020, a step that marked the first formal acknowledgment from Congress of the mysterious attacks. But the legislation didn’t pass in the final weeks of the previous Congress and was reintroduced by Collins last month. The Havana Act was passed on the Senate floor Tuesday without a formal vote, a measure used for legislation with widespread support from both parties.
The bill gives State Department and CIA employees who experienced symptoms including dizziness, tinnitus, visual problems, vertigo and cognitive difficulties the ability to receive additional money from the federal government for health coverage. The various agency heads, the secretary of state and CIA director, are able to authorize payments at their discretion, though the funds will come from Congress.
