By: Leo Shane III

Lawmakers on Wednesday launched their latest effort to piece together comprehensive legislation on veterans’ toxic exposure illnesses with the goal of providing a clear path forward by the start of the summer.

At a hearing on the issue before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., said he wanted to mark up the package “before Memorial Day” and promised a “bold” new approach to getting more medical care and benefits to veterans suffering from illnesses connected to burn pits, chemical exposure and other potential poisoning while on duty.

“We must provide health care and benefits to all veterans suffering from the effects of toxic exposure, past, present and future,” he said. “It is the cost of war. That is pure and simple.”

Dozens of measures on the topic have been introduced since the start of the new Congress in January, including a bipartisan measure touted by comedian Jon Stewart and a host of other advocates which would give presumptive benefits status to veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas war zones where burn pits were used.

Burn pit advocate, Navy vet, Lauren Price dies after long fight with cancer

Lauren Price, 56, worked closely with lawmakers on proposals to help military toxic exposure victims and their caregivers.

That and 21 other proposals were debated by the committee on Wednesday, and will be discussed again next week when the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee holds a similar hearing.

In a statement Tuesday, House committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., promised coordinated work with Senate lawmakers on the issue in the weeks to come.

“It is critical that we hear from experts and veteran stakeholders as we figure out the best way to care for all veterans who’ve been exposed to toxic substances regardless of where or when they’ve served,” he said.