VIETNAM VETERANS LIVER FLUKE CANCER STUDY ACT

On 2025-04-07, Representative Nick LaLota (R-NY-1) delivered a floor speech titled "VIETNAM VETERANS LIVER FLUKE CANCER STUDY ACT" in the House.

VIETNAM VETERANS LIVER FLUKE CANCER STUDY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1435-H1437] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] VIETNAM VETERANS LIVER FLUKE CANCER STUDY ACT Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 586) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to study and report on the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma in veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations during the Vietnam era, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 586 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act''. SEC. 2. STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA IN VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE VIETNAM THEATER OF OPERATIONS DURING THE VIETNAM ERA. (a) Epidemiological Study.--Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall commence an epidemiological study on the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma in covered veterans of the Vietnam era, using data from the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry and the National Program of Cancer Registries. The study shall include-- (1) an identification of the rate of incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in covered veterans of the Vietnam era and in residents of the United States, from the beginning of the Vietnam era to the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) for each of the groups specified in paragraph (1), an identification of the percentage of individuals with cholangiocarcinoma by various demographic characteristics, including by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and the geographic location of the patient at the time of diagnosis. (b) Reports to Congress.-- (1) Initial report.--Not later than one year after the completion of the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing-- (A) the results of the study under subsection (a); and (B) recommendations for administrative or legislative actions required to address issues identified in the study under subsection (a). (2) Follow-up reports.--The Secretary shall periodically submit to the Congress a follow-up reports, as determined by the Secretary, to provide updates to the information included in the initial report under paragraph (1) and information collected pursuant to subsection (c). (c) Continued Tracking of Cholangiocarcinoma in Covered Veterans of the Vietnam Era.--The Secretary shall track the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma in covered veterans of the Vietnam era using [[Page H1436]] the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry, and provide such information to Congress in follow-up reports submitted under subsection (b)(2). (d) Definitions.--In this section: (1) The term ``Vietnam era'' has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. (2) The term ``covered veterans of the Vietnam era'' means veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations during the Vietnam era. SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITATION OF PENSION PAYMENTS. Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``November 30, 2031'' and inserting ``December 31, 2031''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois. General Leave Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 586, as amended. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois? There was no objection. Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 586, as amended, offered by Representative LaLota from New York, my friend and fellow veteran. Representative LaLota's bill would require VA to conduct a study and produce a report on the frequency of bile duct cancer for veterans who served in and around the Vietnam war. Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that many Vietnam veterans suffered greatly in service to their country. Thousands of Vietnam veterans still live with invisible and visible wounds of war today. My own uncle is one of them. He served in Vietnam and, like so many others, suffered debilitating injuries from his service. Sadly, many never received the treatment or recognition they deserved when they came home. Today, we are still learning about the full extent of the health risks these veterans faced, some of which weren't understood at the time. One risk may have come from something as simple and routine as eating local food during their deployment. Certain uncooked fish consumed in Southeast Asia are known to carry a parasite called a liver fluke. The parasite can cause infection and long-term scarring that may lead to bile duct cancer. This is a rare but serious illness here in the U.S. and one more commonly found in the region where our veterans served. This bill would require VA to study whether bile duct cancer is linked to service in Vietnam and whether this rare condition should be considered service-connected. One of VA's most important missions is to care for the injuries veterans sustain while they serve this country. This study would help uphold that sacred obligation. Mr. Speaker, I thank my fellow veteran, Mr. LaLota, for his leadership on this bill on behalf of our veterans. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 586, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 586, the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, as amended. Liver fluke is a serious parasitic infection that is a well- recognized risk factor for the development of bile duct cancer. H.R. 586, as amended, would require VA, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to commence an epidemiological study on the prevalence of bile duct cancer in veterans who served in the Vietnam war versus their nonveteran U.S. resident counterparts. This legislation requires VA to submit a report with the results of the study broken out by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and geographic location. I certainly understand why Vietnam war veterans would be concerned about their exposure to this disease and believe we should do everything possible to ensure veterans have access to care and treatment for diseases they may have been exposed to as a part of their service. However, I must note that the context in which we are considering this legislation is vastly different than the last time the bill was considered by the House just under 7 months ago. In fact, under Secretary Kennedy's leadership in the past week, the CDC, or Centers for Disease Control, has cut 18 percent of its workforce. Many of these roles have been in global and environmental health roles, which means the individuals in offices best suited to assist with the requirements of this bill may no longer even exist at the CDC. Vietnam war veterans deserve answers about their health and access to the best treatments. Under this administration's chaotic and damaging workforce cuts across all sectors of government, it will be harder than ever to get these answers. I will support this bill today, but I urge my colleagues to consider that implementation of this bill will be harder than it needs to be in the new CDC workforce realities that we are now in. These workforce cuts have real and lasting consequences, including for our veterans. In addition, while I support the underlying goals of this measure, I must express concern over the majority's decision to offset its cost by diverting pension payments from some of the VA's oldest and sickest veterans. The VA pension programs exist specifically to assist our most vulnerable veterans and their survivors. Slashing these benefits, particularly when other support systems are also under threat, poses a significant risk for those who rely on them most. I recognize that this offset has been employed historically and in some form since the 1960s. However, in light of this administration's ongoing efforts, enabled by a complacent Republican-led Congress, to systematically weaken VA, we must reevaluate whether it remains appropriate to rely on this offset. I believe it would be prudent to discuss with the Senate whether a more appropriate offset can be identified before this bill becomes law. Mr. Speaker, with those caveats I have identified, I support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota), the sponsor of this bill. Mr. LaLOTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, a weekend or two ago in Suffolk County, I stood with nearly 1,000 Long Islanders at a Vietnam war Veterans Day ceremony. The theme of the day was simple but powerful: Welcome home. Welcome home after serving in a war that was unpopular at home. Welcome home after surviving brutal jungle and guerrilla warfare. Welcome home after losing more than 58,000 brothers and sisters in arms. Welcome home to a nation and a healthcare system that wasn't ready to care for your wounds, seen and unseen. Today, Vietnam veterans across my district and across the country are still fighting. This time, the enemy isn't on a battlefield overseas. It is a silent killer, bile duct cancer, caused by a parasite known as the liv

Referenced legislation: HR586, HR586, HR4424