North Carolina senator demands action for veterans impacted at Camp Lejeune

U.S. Sen. Ted Budd is again demanding action for veterans impacted by exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune.

Budd, R-N.C., took to the Senate floor on Thursday to call out the Department of Justice and U.S. Navy for delays in processing veterans’ claims for various health challenges related to the exposure, which have ranged from deadly cancers to Parkinson’s Disease.

The issue impacts over 70,000 veterans who served at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville between 1953 and 1987, as well as their families who drank, bathed and cooked with water contaminated with industrial solvents, benzene, and other chemicals. Budd backed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act last year to allow veterans who are suffering to receive damages and become eligible for care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.