Biden in Utah to mark anniversary of PACT Act expanding veterans benefits

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Joe Biden will mark the first anniversary of a law that is delivering the largest expansion of veterans benefits in decades on Thursday by showcasing the bipartisan PACT Act in the company of Utah’s Republican Gov. The Democratic president and GOP governor will visit the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to promote a law that is intended to improve health care and disability compensation for exposure to toxic substances, such as burn pits that were used to dispose of trash on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. VA Secretary Denis McDonough told The Associated Press in a recent interview that the department is ahead of its internal projections and is working to process veterans' claims faster. "That’s the biggest challenge.” VA Secretary Denis McDonough told The Associated Press in a recent interview that the department is ahead of its internal projections and is working to process veterans’ claims faster.