National Action Network (NAN) National Convention

Rev, thanks for that generous introduction, and Happy Easter to you. More importantly, thanks for your decades of courageous service in the fight for civil rights—and for over 30 years leading the National Action Network.

Let me also acknowledge Reverend Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of NAN’s National Board of Directors. Reverend Franklyn answered the call to the ministry when he was just 18 years old, showing us how surrendering to something greater than ourselves is the first step in the long and righteous struggle for social justice and community empowerment. Reverend Franklyn, thank you for your example and deep devotion to justice, decency, and equal opportunity.

There are so many others who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make today’s event a reality. My thanks to Ebonie Riley and her team, as well as all the NAN Chapter Leaders and members here today.  

At the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, we’re privileged and honored to serve all of America’s Veterans, including the many NAN members who are Vets. Thank you all for your selfless service to our country, for taking an oath to protect the rights and freedoms of so many of us—only to have to fight for your own rights and freedoms here at home. And thank you for your continued service to this nation through your unyielding advocacy and demand for civil rights, for human rights.

To all Vets, their family members, caregivers, and survivors in the audience—please stop by the VA table tomorrow and Friday to talk with our VA claims experts. They are here to help you with any questions you may have on VA benefits.

Two weeks ago, our country celebrated Vietnam War Veterans Day to remember each Vet who served in that long war, and to honor their courage, their selfless service, and the enormous sacrifices they and their families made.

One of those Vietnam Vets is Colonel Paris Davis. Colonel Davis began his career as an Army officer soon after the military was desegregated. He graduated from the Army’s elite Airborne and Ranger schools. He became a Green Beret—one of the very first Black Army Special Forces officers in American history.

On June 18th, 1965, then-Captain Davis found himself in the thick of a quickly deteriorating early-morning mission in Vietnam. Outgunned 3-to-1, with all of his men injured and several missing, Captain Davis was ordered to retreat. He was ordered to leave his men behind. Captain Davis later recalled that he “said some words over the [radio] I don’t care to repeat … I did do a little swearing,” and disobeyed the order to retreat—twice—to save his soldiers.

Over the course of the day-long gunfight, Captain Davis was wounded eight times, including gunshots in his arm and leg. For nearly 20 hours, he rushed across open ground to get to his wounded troops, fought off wave after wave of attacks—at times in hand-to-hand combat—and carried wounded teammates hundreds of meters across muddy rice fields to safety. That day, Captain Davis repeatedly risked his life to singlehandedly save his fellow American soldiers.

And he saved every single one.

Not long after that fight, Captain Davis was nominated for the highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor. Somehow, the Army lost that nomination. Frustrated, his commander resubmitted the nomination. Somehow, the Army lost it again.

Twenty years later, Colonel Paris Davis retired. Like so many Vets, he may have retired from military service, but he didn’t retire from serving. Colonel Davis continued to serve his community. He founded The Metro Herald, a newspaper in Alexandria, Virginia, that reported stories about the accomplishments of Black residents and local civil rights issues. And for much of the past 60 years, Colonel Davis’s teammates have pushed for justice—insisting he be recognized for his valor that day … for saving their lives.

At long last, a few weeks ago, that arc of the moral universe bent a little further toward justice when President Biden presented Colonel Paris Davis the Medal of Honor he had earned all those years ago. President Biden said the occasion may have been his “most consequential day” in office. He told Colonel Davis, “You are everything this medal means … you’re everything our nation is at our best.”

At VA, we’re honored to serve heroic Veterans like Colonel Davis. Because when someone like Colonel Davis—Veterans like many of you—sign-up to serve our country in the military, we make you a promise. If you take care of us, we will take care of you when you come home. Our country as a whole makes that promise. At VA, it’s our job to keep that promise.

Now, while Veterans were off fighting for us over the past 50 years, many of them were breathing in toxic fumes from Agent Orange, burn pits, and other sources. And months or years later, they developed conditions that followed them home from war that impacted their lives—in some cases, took their lives—long after the guns had fallen silent. It’s our job as a nation to provide those Vets, their families, and their survivors with benefits and care for those conditions.

That’s our promise. And that’s exactly what we’re doing. 

This past August, President Biden signed legislation recognizing new presumptions of service connection for more than 20 health conditions related to toxic exposures—including exposures like Agent Orange, burn pits, and more. This new law will ensure Vets who live with those conditions get the care and benefits they earned, and it’s empowered VA to deliver the care that millions of toxic-exposed Veterans need, and the benefits that they and their survivors deserve—including many of you here, today. This can end up being one of the biggest expansions of Veteran benefits in history. It’s going to deliver outcomes for millions of toxic exposed Veterans and their survivors, bring generations of new Vets into VA health care, and increase the health care benefits of many more.

Let me share with you one quick example of what it can mean. One Vietnam Veteran decided to re-submit his claim for VA benefits—54 years after he was originally denied his claim for hypertension and other conditions. Well, hypertension is a newly presumptive condition for Vietnam Vets exposed to Agent Orange under the provisions of the PACT Act. In February, he was granted service connection for his claim. He and his wife were relieved. They were impressed by the timely outcome and the level of personal service they received from their claims representative.

Most importantly, he and his wife expressed how meaningful it was to know that his condition is service connected. They finally felt seen. They felt appreciated. They said that it gave them “peace of mind” to know, after 54 long years, that the injuries he suffered—both visible and invisible—were connected to his courageous service and sacrifices for this country, for all of us. It’s so simple, yet so profound. When Vets and their families get that letter from VA granting service connection for their injuries, that’s the United States saying, “We believe you, and thank you.”

That’s keeping the promise.

And let me make a finer point here. The force that fought for us in Vietnam—and the force that fought for us over those 30 years of war in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Uzbekistan, and Syria—were not just the finest and strongest fighting forces on the face of the planet, in the history of the planet. They were also the most diverse. Now, I have not read this in a study, and I know that Black and women Veterans have served in every American conflict going back to the Revolutionary War. But I also know the force that fought in Vietnam and in Central Command counted among it more Black and more women service members than ever before.

So, I see this new law as an opportunity for VA to try to start a new relationship with the Vets, families, caregivers, and survivors of these wars. I see it as an invitation to build a new relationship with VA—an invitation for a homecoming—especially for Vets who may have tried VA in the past but didn’t feel welcome, didn’t feel heard, didn’t feel seen. We owe every Veteran so much more than that. So we have transformed how we communicate with Vets, especially Vets of color, LGBTQ+ Vets, and other underserved populations.

To do this, we have launched comprehensive, innovative, and data-based outreach campaigns and initiatives to increase the number of these Veterans who are aware of, have access to, apply for, and receive VA benefits and services. VA is also fostering strategic partnerships with non-traditional organizations, while continuously seeking unexplored avenues to meet the changing and diverse needs of our Veteran community.

We still can, and still must, be better—and do better—for all the Veterans we serve. And let’s be real here for a minute. At VA, we’ve not always kept that promise well enough—especially for Black Veterans. We have been wrestling with disparities based on race in VA benefits decisions and military discharge status.

In light of that—and aided partly by President Biden’s executive order on advancing racial equity through the federal government—I have directed the leadership team here at VA to stand up an Equity Team immediately. That team’s first order of business will be to look into disparities in grant rates to Black Veterans—as well as all minority and historically underserved Veterans—and correct those disparities. I expect that team to consider policies across VA to address these concerns—including changes related to organizational structure, training, quality control, outreach, and more. This work will build on what we have already done to embed inclusion, diversity, equity, and access into everything we do at VA.

But the bottom line is this. We will not rest until every Veteran gets access to equitable, world-class care and benefits. We are going to earn your trust, day by day. And we’re going to do that by being transparent and by delivering outcomes for Vets.  So, to any Vets who may have felt unseen by VA in the past or who didn’t feel like they belong: you are welcome, today and every day, at your VA.

So, five quick points on the new law covering Vietnam Vets and Vets of the 30 years of war in Central Command. I said it can be the largest expansion of VA care and benefits in history, but it will only be so if we get Vets to come apply for these benefits that they have earned and so richly deserve.  

First, we want Vietnam Vets and Vets who fought over the last 30 years of war to apply for their toxic exposure benefits right now. Don’t wait. Apply today—and re-apply if you’ve been denied before—for the benefits you’ve earned. And listen, applying on or before August 9th this year means benefits will be backdated to August 10th of last year, the day President Biden signed the bill into law.

Second, any of you who are already enrolled in VA health care should get a toxic exposure screening at your VA medical center. It’s quick. It’s easy. And nearly 2.5 million Vets already have. And if you’re not enrolled in VA health care, please, enroll.

Third, some Vets worry that applying for toxic exposure benefits will impact their current benefits. The truth is that with the PACT Act, they’re 32 times more likely to have their benefits increase or stay the same than to see a decrease.

Fourth, there are people out there who’ll try to convince Vets they need to pay somebody or use a lawyer to apply for their VA benefits. Not true. Working with VA or a VSO, it’s free and easy to apply.

And fifth, everybody can learn more about the PACT Act and apply anytime by visiting VA.gov/PACT or calling 1-800-MY-VA-411 … 1-800-698-2411. If you’re a Vet attending today … please stop by the VA table tomorrow and Friday to meet with VA claims representatives who will you file a PACT Act claim, answer any questions you might have, and help you access the VA benefits you have earned.

We need everyone’s help—Reverend Sharpton, Reverend Richardson—everyone’s help communicating with Veterans and families so that every Veteran gets the care they need, and the benefits they deserve. At VA, we simply won’t rest, until they do. And with your help, we’re going to keep our sacred promise to those who served and sacrificed—to serve all Veterans as well as they served us.

So Reverend Sharpton, thank you for having me today. May God bless our Servicemembers across the country and around the globe. May God bless our Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. And may God continue to bless our Nation. Thank you.