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Jon Stewart DEMANDS lawmakers pass Honoring Our Pact Act to help veterans afflicted by burn pits

Stewart, 59, argued for the passing of the Honoring Our Pact Act on Tuesday, March 29, as he was flanked by members of Congress in Washington DC

Comedian Jon Stewart has demanded lawmakers pass a bill designed to help members of the military who are suffering health maladies after inhaling toxic material in the line of duty.

The 59-year-old television host, who has become one of the nation's most high-profile campaigners for veterans' health since exiting The Daily Show in 2015, argued for the passing of the Honoring Our Pact Act on Tuesday, March 29, as he was flanked by members of Congress in Washington DC. The bill would allow any veteran who served in the war on terror, including 9/11 first responders, to become eligible for care and benefits to treat various cancers and breathing ailments.

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Stewart lashed out at politicians opposing the bill, saying they did not understand the plight of the victims. "You want to do it here? Let's dig a giant f**king pit 10 acres long and burn everything in Washington with jet fuel," he said. "And then let me know how long they want to wait before they think it's gonna cause some health problems." The TV personality added, "Here's the bottom line. You cannot be America first when you put veterans last."

At least three million service members were exposed to burn pits, some of which were the size of football fields, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The pits were widely used until 2010 as a way of disposing of waste that produced dangerous toxic smoke when burned, such as plastics, rubber, chemical mixtures, and medical waste. According to the Daily Mail, they were particularly in heavy use in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"We can't wait any longer," Stewart said. "The delay is unconscionable. We're going to have a hearing on this today, and you're going to hear a lot of nonsense about 'is this responsible.' You know what would have been nice? If they had been responsible 20 years ago and hadn't spent trillions of dollars on overseas adventures. If they had been responsible and hadn't spent billions of dollars for defense contractors to poison our own troops."

The TV host-turned-political commentator argued that two decades of war had created "an overflow" of sick veterans, who must currently prove that their condition was caused by the burn pits -- something that proponents of the bill argue is often impossible to prove. Supporters of the Honoring Our Pact legislation claimed the measure is a clear recognition from Congress that it is "too burdensome" for veterans to prove to the VA that their illness was caused by their exposure.

Critics of the bill, however, say the measure, which has a staggering $300 billion price tag over 10 years, is wasteful in many ways and would impact the country's deficit. The opponents also argue that the legislation would grant health and disability benefits to many veterans whose conditions may not have anything to do with their service. Furthermore, there is concern that the influx of new cases would tax an already-stressed VA system, resulting in longer wait times for health care and the processing of disability claims.