[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Amy and Mark Antioho, the wife and son of the late Peter Antioho, attended today’s White House ceremony for the signing of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, comprehensive legislation to deliver multiple generations of veterans exposed to burn pits and dangerous toxins access to healthcare and benefits.

Peter Antioho of Berlin, Connecticut served in the United States Army and was exposed to toxic burn pits during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2012. After being diagnosed with a grade four brain tumor and terminal brain cancer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) twice rejected his claims for disability benefits, arguing the burden was on him to prove the cancer was caused by the burn pits. Antioho’s claims were only approved following assistance from Blumenthal’s office in 2019, a little over a year before Antioho died.

“We lost Peter Antioho to glioblastoma, a hideous form of cancer that was caused by these burn pits. I came to know him and his family and advocated for him when he needed care and benefits, but one thing he said to us is…no veteran should have to call a United States Senator to get what they deserve,” said Blumenthal. “He was right, and he was a big part of the inspiration. And Amy took up the cause and promised him that we would get it across the finish line, and she and families of veterans and veterans themselves did it.”

“There’s no way to bring back Peter or the brave veterans we’ve lost to these diseases, but there’s no way that this nation should fail to honor its obligation to them and so many others who were exposed to these toxic substances,” Blumenthal continued. “And now we have to make sure the veterans in Connecticut—and there are thousands who need this care and benefits—know about it, have access to it, [and] take advantage of it.”

“My message to all the veterans and families still fighting is don’t give up. Please don’t give up or take no for an answer. Please apply for benefits,” said Amy Antioho. “Meeting Heath Robinson’s widow and young daughter, my son and her daughter fist bumped and said, ‘Your daddy died too? So did my daddy.’ And I think that’s what people need to realize, is that these are real human beings with families, with children that will grow up without fathers and mothers and siblings. And I really hope that this helps…The cost of war is too high and it comes home with us.”

The PACT Act will deliver relief to post-9/11 veterans exposed to burn pits, like Antioho, and will correct the nearly 80 percent rejection rate faced by burn pit veterans seeking claims. The legislation also includes provisions championed by Blumenthal to expand benefits, healthcare, and compensation to veteran populations that are not currently able to access services: veterans who responded to the nuclear disaster in Palomares, Spain, those who were deployed to the K2 Air Base, and veterans and families exposed to toxins in the water supply at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

“The cost of war consists of invisible wounds that may not be recognized for years after a veteran returns from active service,” said Blumenthal. “The men and women like Peter Antioho, they’re heroes. And I hope their son Mark knows his dad is a hero.”