Larsen, Dexter Introduce Bill to Stop Trump Admin from Rolling Back Veterans’ Benefits

Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) introduced the Veteran Breast Cancer Fairness Act to restore male breast cancer as a presumptive illness under the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act). October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and October 17 to 23 is Men’s Breast Cancer Awareness Week. In September 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) removed male breast cancer from the list of reproductive cancers considered presumptive under the PACT Act to align with President Trump’s discriminatory executive orders. Male breast cancer has been linked to toxic exposure, and about 100 male veterans are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. “I am committed to ensuring veterans can access high-quality, timely health care for illnesses related to their military service, and this bill is an important step towards guaranteeing that,” said Representative Larsen . “Male veterans with breast cancer should not be denied the benefits they’ve earned because of this Administration’s political agenda.” “Policy changes should be evidence-based and not based on political ideology and hate,” said Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. “That is why I was alarmed when last Fall, Secretary Collins removed male breast cancer as a presumptive illness to conform with Trump’s anti-trans mandates. As a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I am proud to co-lead this bill with Rep. Larsen to restore male breast cancer as a presumptive condition under the PACT Act.” The legislation would designate male breast cancer as a presumptive illness under the PACT Act. PACT creates a presumption of service connection for certain disabilities and illnesses that have been linked to exposure to hazardous substances during military service. The full text of the Veteran Breast Cancer Fairness Act is available here . The Veteran Breast Cancer Fairness Act is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Burn Pits 360, the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to offer an independent burn pit exposure registry in which family members can record the names of warriors who served the nation but have passed away due to illnesses from toxic injury. “Male breast cancer is rare, often caught late, and too easily overlooked, by patients and clinicians alike. For a veteran who breathed burn pit smoke for months or years, that diagnosis is hard enough without also wondering whether the PACT Act covers him,” said Julie Tomáška, PhD, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), Scientific Committee Chair at Burn Pits 360. “The science on military toxic exposures keeps pointing the same way: federal researchers found male breast cancer rates about 39% higher among Marines and sailors at Camp Lejeune, where the drinking water was contaminated with industrial solvents, than at Camp Pendleton. Yet last year VA stopped presuming those men's cancers are service-connected, while women with the same diagnosis still are. Reps. Larsen and Dexter's bill removes the guesswork and writes the answer into law, so every veteran, claims examiner and advocate works from the same clear standard.” Larsen and Dexter Fight for Veterans in the Pacific Northwest This February, Representatives Larsen, Dexter, Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-05) and Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the Mammography Access for Veterans Act , bipartisan legislation to expand veterans’ access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings. In November 2025, Reps. Larsen and Dexter joined many of their colleagues in a letter calling on VA Secretary Doug Collins to immediately restore male breast cancer as a presumptive condition under the PACT Act and to provide Congress with data and analysis used to justify the policy change in November 2025. In his time in Congress, Rep. Larsen has hosted more than 70 forums to hear directly from Northwest Washington state veterans about their needs. In 2025, he published ‘ Listening to Veterans in Northwest Washington ,’ a report capturing local veterans’ most pressing challenges and outlining policy recommendations for Congress and VA to address these concerns. ###