Rep. Takano Invites California Veteran, PACT Act Recipient to be his Guest for the State of the Union
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), author of the PACT Act, announced his guest for the State of the Union:
“I am proud to invite Juan Carlos Lopez-Mendoza to be my guest at the State of the Union. He is a California veteran and an immigrant, who served as an airborne infantryman in a NATO unit during the early 1990s. He served as a gay man under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and left because of the policy. He originally dismissed health issues related to his service, but eventually sought care thanks to being enrolled in the Affordable Care Act exchange.
“His doctor told him about the care he could receive at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Before the Honoring our PACT Act, Juan was receiving 30% disability. After completing a toxic-exposure screening and applying for PACT Act benefits, Juan now receives 100% disability, which has made a significant change in his life.
“We expect President Biden to talk about the PACT Act during his speech tonight and potentially mention the new accelerated VA healthcare enrollment that began this week. The President mentioned that he wanted this to happen during his speech on Veterans Day last year, and it is now a reality for millions of veterans.
“That is who our President is and exemplifies what Democrats will do for veterans. We will deliver for veterans any way we can.”
Watch more about Mr. Lopez-Mendoza's story.
Juan Carlos Lopez-Mendoza said:
“I am honored to be at the U.S. Capitol with my husband today. I am one of the many veterans who have seen their benefits increase because of the landmark PACT Act that was authored by Congressman Mark Takano and was signed into law by President Joe Biden. I am excited to hear from the President about his accomplishments and vision for our nation — and know he will keep putting country ahead of politics.”
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