Veterans Account for 30 Percent of Deaths from Mesothelioma
On the eve of Veterans’ Day, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the so-called ‘Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency Act,’ or House Resolution 982, that will harm veterans with mesothelioma, a disease caused by asbestos exposure.
While veterans represent 8 percent of the nation’s population, they comprise an astonishing 30 percent of American mesothelioma deaths. Mesothelioma is horrific, terminal asbestos cancer that has no cure.
Sadly, despite the well-known dangers, asbestos is still legal in the United States and kills more than 10,000 Americans every year.
Asbestos was known to be deadly by the 1930s. Yet, Big Asbestos corporate executives callously covered up this fact for decades, exposed millions of Americans – including veterans – to this deadly substance, and put their health at risk. Today, wealthy asbestos companies are still using their political clout to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.
Veterans have been disproportionately diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases and will be disproportionately harmed by H.R. 982. If enacted, H.R. 982 would violate asbestos victims’ privacy and allow Big Asbestos to further delay and deny justice until asbestos victims die.
This Veterans’ Day, Congress should focus on keeping our veterans and all Americans safe from deadly products, not protecting corporations that deliberately put workers and consumers in danger.
