Duckworth Joins Tillis and Blumenthal in Introducing Bipartisan Legislation to Help Eliminate Barriers to Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims

September 26, 2024

Duckworth Joins Tillis and Blumenthal in Introducing Bipartisan Legislation to Help Eliminate Barriers to Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)-a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and combat Veteran who served 23 years in the Reserve Forces-joined U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in introducing the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act. This bipartisanlegislation would help improve access to health care and benefits for individuals exposed to toxic chemicals at Camp Lejeune by making technical corrections to the original Camp Lejeune Justice Act, clarifying the right to jury trials and the appropriate causation standard, capping attorneys' fees and expanding jurisdiction to alleviate the backlog of toxic water claims. These corrections would help ensure that Veterans and other victims have all the rights and opportunities for relief that Congress had originally intended.

"After selflessly answering the call to serve our nation, too many brave servicemembers were exposed to toxic chemicals from Camp Lejeune's drinking water-but could not receive the justice and care they deserve due to unnecessary roadblocks," said Senator Duckworth. "This bipartisan legislation would help make it easier for impacted servicemembers and Veterans to access the care and benefits they've earned through their service. It's the least we could do after all they sacrifice for us."

"Currently, veterans and other victims exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune are running into roadblocks that are denying them their day in court before a jury for the often-crippling and deadly medical conditions they have suffered," said Senator Tillis. "Since coming to office, I have worked alongside those who lived and worked at Camp Lejeune that were unknowingly exposed to harmful chemicals to finally give them the health care and benefits they deserve. I am proud to introduce this legislation with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to bring justice for victims and provide a path forward for justice after decades of delay."

"Victims of Camp Lejeune's contaminated water deserve recompense and accountability," said Senator Blumenthal. "With this essential legislation, we eliminate roadblocks and provide a pathway to seeking justice for our veterans and their families affected by toxic exposure, ensuring access to well-deserved benefits and relief."

Along with Duckworth, Tillis and Blumenthal, this bipartisan legislation is also supported by U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mike Braun (R-IN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

Specifically, the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act would:

• Help permit cases to be heard in any district court in the 4^th Circuit.
• Explicitly provide for jury trials.
• Expressly state that victims must only show general causation, including for latent or potential harm.
• Help formalize attorney fees caps at 20% for settlements and 25% for trials.
• Help ensure there is no room for interpreting Congress' original intent to provide complete and swift relief to victims of contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

Full text of the bill is available on Senator Tillis's website.

Duckworth is a fierce advocate for our servicemembers, Veterans and their families. Duckworth was a strong supporter of the PACT Act, which was signed into law in 2022 and is helping millions of toxic-exposed Veterans access the care and benefits they deserve. In March, Duckworth also announced that she helped secure $2.4 billion to expand benefits and services for military and Veteran caregivers to include health care and mental health services, training adapted to the Veterans' individual care needs and a direct stipend payment as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bills.

As co-founder of the U.S. Senate's Environmental Justice Caucus, Senator Duckworth also successfully included her Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA)in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which ishelping clean up our nation's water by investing $15 billion to replace lead service lines across the nation.

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