Jon Stewart calls on Biden admin to help vets sickened by uranium exposure

[KARAH RUCKER]

COMEDIAN JON STEWART IS PUSHING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO FIX A LOOPHOLE IN A VETERANS AID BILL – WHICH LEFT OUT SOME U-S TROOPS WHO RESPONDED OVERSEAS AFTER 9/11 THEN GOT SICK. 

SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES WERE DEPLOYED TO UZBEKISTAN JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE SEPTEMBER 11-TH, 2001 ATTACKS – TO A BASE KNOWN AS K-2. 

K-2 WAS FORMERLY A SOVIET AIR BASE – WHICH HAD BEEN USED FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROCESSING AND WAS LEFT LITTERED WITH SOVIET DEBRIS… INCLUDING HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE URANIUM POWDER. 

SINCE THEN… THOUSANDS OF U-S MILITARY VETERANS WHO SERVED AT K-2 HAVE REPORTED COMPLEX MEDICAL CONDITIONS – WHICH ARE KNOWN TO BE LINKED TO RADIATION EXPOSURE.

IN 20-22 – PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SIGNED A MASSIVE VETERANS AID BILL, KNOWN AS THE PACT ACT… AND WHILE IT DOES ADDRESS MANY OF THE HEALTH ISSUES PLAGUING K-2 VETERANS… IT DOES *NOT* INCLUDE COVERAGE FOR RADIATION EXPOSURE. 

K-2 VETERANS HAVE BEEN ASKING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIR FOR HELP FOR YEARS… BUT THE AGENCY SAYS IT’S STILL WORKING WITH THE PENTAGON AND STUDYING THE ISSUE TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO ADD RADIATION EXPOSURE COVERAGE. 

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – STEWART EXPLAINED IT LIKE THIS: “IMAGINE YOU’RE STATIONED INSIDE THE METH LAB ON ‘BREAKING BAD. THESE GUYS WERE EXPOSED TO A TOXIC SOUP OF BASICALLY AN EXPLODED CHEMICALS AND NUCLEAR WEAPON FACILITY.”

STEWART – MOST FAMOUSLY KNOWN FOR HIS WORK ON “THE DAILY SHOW” — HAS LONG ADVOCATED FOR FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WHO RESPONDED TO 9/11… AS WELL AS IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS WHO CAME HOME WITH CANCERS OR OTHER SERIOUS ILLNESSES AFTER EXPOSURES TO TOXINS WHILE DEPLOYED.  

STEWARD CALLED THE PACT ACT “AN IMMENSE IMPROVEMENT” — BUT SAID A SMALL ADJUSTMENT TO ADDRESS THE RADIATION EXPOSURE AT K-2 COULD FULFILL THE PACT ACT’S INTENT.