{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-ruiz-celebrate-advancement-of-bipartisan-bicameral-wipe-act-to-eliminate-burn-pits-and-enhance-protections-for-veterans/", "Welch, Ruiz Celebrate Advancement of Bipartisan, Bicameral \u2018WIPE Act\u2019 to Eliminate Burn Pits and Enhance Protections for Veterans", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "www.welch.senate.gov", "welch", "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and U.S. Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25) today celebrated the advancement of the Waste and Illegal Property Eradication (WIPE) Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to support servicemember health and strengthen national security by improving how the U.S. military eliminates certain materials both at home and overseas. The WIPE Act\u2019s provisions prohibiting the use of open-air burn pits to dispose of contraband or classified materials and of burn-pit disposal systems were included in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26).\n\n\u201cWhen we passed the PACT Act, we took a major step forward to ensure the cost of the war will include the cost of caring for the warrior. But we can\u2014and must\u2014do more to address the risk burn pits and other toxic substances pose for our veterans,\u201d said Senator Welch. \u201cThe WIPE Act will increase protections for veterans who could potentially be exposed to toxic substances and invest in waste disposal alternatives that will eliminate harmful burn pits. I\u2019m encouraged this essential, common-sense bipartisan legislation to protect our veterans was included in the NDAA.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs an emergency physician, I\u2019ve seen the devastating effects of toxic exposure on our servicemembers. That\u2019s why I championed the toxic exposure provisions of the PACT Act and why I\u2019m committed to preventing future harm,\u201d said Rep. Dr. Ruiz. \u201cThe WIPE Act builds on that work by moving the military away from hazardous burn pits and toward safer, modern disposal systems. I\u2019m proud to see this bipartisan measure included in the NDAA to better protect those who protect us.\u201d\n\nFor decades, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has relied on open-air burn pits to dispose of waste in overseas contingency operations. The Department\u2019s use of open-air burn pits\u2014which create airborne hazards and increase health risks\u2014has exposed an estimated 3.5 million U.S. servicemembers to harmful toxins that have been linked to long-term health conditions, including respiratory disease, cancer, and heart issues. In 2022, Congress passed the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT) Act to expand care and benefits for veterans suffering from toxic exposure. Since the bill was signed into law by President Biden, over 5.6 million veterans have been screened for exposure to toxic chemicals.\n\nThe WIPE Act would invest in safer disposal systems for the future by replacing outdated and harmful waste disposal practices with modern, secure alternatives. These new systems will also improve how the U.S. secures and eliminates dangerous material and can also be deployed to military bases, border operations, and overseas installations.\n\nThe WIPE Act is cosponsored by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24). The legislation is endorsed by Burn Pits 360 and the FealGood Foundation.\n\nSenator Welch has championed efforts to limit toxic substance exposure among veterans in the Senate, including supporting legislation to educate servicemembers on the impact of burn pits and other airborne hazards and improve data collection on veterans affected by toxic exposure. Last year, Senator Welch introduced the bicameral Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry 2.0 Act, which passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and the bipartisan Burn Pit Elimination Act, both bills that would improve protections for veterans under the PACT Act and prevent future toxic exposure cases.\n\nLast Congress, a bipartisan amendment led by Sens. Welch, Tillis, and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) requiring the VA to conduct a review on mortality and toxic exposure data for veterans who served in Kosovo passed with bipartisan support in the Senate. Senator Welch also cosponsored the Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act, Reducing Exposure to Burn Pits Act, and Toxic Exposure Education for Servicemembers Act, bills that build on the PACT Act to provide increased support for veterans exposed to burn pits, improve data collection on burn pit and toxic substance exposure, and help mitigate future toxic substance exposure for servicemembers.\n\nLearn more about the WIPE Act and read the full text of the bill.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-ruiz-celebrate-advancement-of-bipartisan-bicameral-wipe-act-to-eliminate-burn-pits-and-enhance-protections-for-veterans/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7697159890085459, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}