President Biden signed into law a measure to improve federal health benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic smoke from burn pits while serving overseas.
In a ceremony that was equal parts a personal and political victory, Biden enacted the bill on Wednesday that he made a signature goal, not least because his late son, Beau Biden, died of cancer after serving in Kosovo and Iraq.
“We owe you,” Biden said in an emotional ceremony. “You’re the backbone. You’re the steel. You’re the sinew. You’re the very fiber that makes this country what it is.”
Biden was introduced by Danielle Robinson, the widow of Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, who died of cancer two years ago. The legislation is named for him.