I am writing with an update
from The Weekly Wrap, a re-
cap of the week in Congress and
highlights of my work.
Last week
the House
passed the
Honoring Our
PACT Act,
legislation to
make health-
care available
to more than
3.5 million veterans who have
faced toxic exposure, including
burn pits. Additionally, the Sen-
ate passed the Inflation Reduc-
tion Act, legislation to fight in-
flation, lower health care costs
and tackle the climate crisis.
Honoring Our PACT Act
Last week, the Senate passed
the Sergeant First Class Heath
Robinson Honoring our Promise
to Address Comprehensive Tox-
ics (PACT) Act.
The Honoring Our PACT is a
comprehensive legislative pack-
age to address the full range of is-
sues impacting veterans exposed
to toxic chemicals and provide
access to benefits and healthcare
through the Department of Veter-
ans Affairs (VA); making health-
care available to more than 3.5
million veterans.
This legislation includes my
bill, the Palomares Veterans Act,
which would remove barriers to
benefits and compensation for
veterans who responded to the
1996 nuclear accident in Palo-
mares, Spain.
The PACT Act represents the
most significant expansion of
benefits and services for toxic
exposed veterans in more than
30 years. This legislation en-
sures impacted veterans, as well
as their families and caregivers,
will receive the health care and
benefits they have earned and de-
serve.
I am pleased to have joined
my colleagues in advancing the
PACT Act out of the House and
look forward to President Biden
signing the legislation into law.
Infl ation Reduction Act
Last week, the Senate took an-
other step to help ease inflation,
help lower costs for Americans,
and tackle the climate crisis by
passing the Inflation Reduction
Act. Specifically, the Inflation
Reduction Act:
Lowers the cost of prescrip-
tion drugs by allowing Medicare
to negotiate drug prices and caps
out-of-pocket costs to $2,000;
Invests more than $300 bil-
lion in energy and climate re-
form; and
Establishes a 15% corporate
minimum tax rate, requiring the
wealthy to pay their fair share in
taxes.
The House will reconvene
this week to pass this legislation.
As your Congresswoman, I
recognize the devastating im-
pact skyrocketing costs have on
families in Connecticut’s Fifth
District. Additionally, I know the
climate crisis is one the major is-
sues of our time.
Please be assured I will con-
tinue to make progress on these
issues.
Jahana Hayes
Member of Congress
