Bill That Would Grant Benefits to Blue Water Navy Vets Is Headed for a Vote

House members moved May 8 to accelerate extending disability benefits to "blue water" Vietnam veterans and expand eligibility to more troops, including those who served in the Korean demilitarized zone in the late 1960s. A bill proposed by the House Veterans Affairs Committee would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide disability compensation for veterans who served on Navy ships off Vietnam and have been diagnosed with one of 14 diseases presumed related to Agent Orange exposure. The bill, H.R. 299, now goes to the House for a vote. Members of the Senate, meanwhile, are considering similar legislation proposed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York. Read more about the bill on Military.com.