The move builds on months of efforts to publicize health care and disability payouts available through the PACT Act. The five-minute series of questions is designed to inform vets of new benefits they may be able to receive. Congress said officials could wait until 2026 to handle some claims, but White House officials have ordered VA to move faster. The claims backlog is nearly three times higher than in early 2020. The number of claims left pending for more than four months is expected to rise to more than 260,000 next month. An estimated 3.5 million veterans suffered some burn pit exposure overseas during deployments in the last 20 years. The U.S. military halted the use of Agent Orange in 1971. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has since recognized more than a dozen diseases it presumes to be connected with exposure to the chemical. Individuals suffering from bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism will be able to receive disability payments for their conditions. A pair of bills dealing with burn pit exposure, Agent Orange illnesses and more are slowly working through Capitol Hill. The ambitious legislative package is expected to be formally unveiled next week. Load More