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it was intended to do. guest: this was the most controversial veterans benefits expansion we have seen in 30 years. this was passed by congress and supported heavily by president biden to recognize military tactic exposure issues in a new way. we have had a piecemeal approach to things like agent orange exposure or radiation exposure during military training. eva v.a. would adopt individual illnesses, make them things you could apply for military disability for. the pact act has tried to turn that on its head, especially in relation to burn pits. if you manifest one of two to four different career -- one of 24 different illnesses or cancers, you are covered. instead of having to prove it was related to your military service, you should just be able to go and say i have contracted

asthma for this rare cancer -- for this rare cancer and now you have to pay me benefits. disability benefits can be thousands of dollars per month. it is like changing. it is an expensive bill, $300 million over 10 years. that was the fight, whether or not this is adding too much to the national debt. it did get through and now we are in the implementation phase. we have had 500,000 new claims. the v.a. is working hard, 80% of claims have been approved. is a massive undertaking for the v.a. to add these folks in. part of bringing them in his opening the door for them to get more v.a. care. not every veteran qualifies, but individuals who have service-connected issues can get treatment. the hope is not just that they're getting compensation, but also getting better treatment.

host: what was the genesis of the pact act? people were saying we have suffered from these burn pits for a long time, but only when a celebrity, jon stewart, makes it a big issue. then it passes and he starts getting the benefit. guest: it is hard to tell what the tipping point is. the veterans groups have been on this for a few years. this is something new, but always saw was jon stewart's involvement and another key point was president biden talking about the issue of improving health care for burn pit victims in his state of the union address. that was a tipping point.

the state of union is a posturing speech, a way to highlight a lot of these issues. it was the first time this burn pit care for veterans and illnesses was brought to that level. that give extra momentum on capitol hill and give impetus for things to pass through the house. we saw the fights over the summer of 2022. everything with legislation gets complicated. the veterans groups have been fighting it for a long time but we are pleased to see that it moved ahead last year. host: how has the v.a. ramped up to deal with the influx? there are a lot of veterans that were exposed to toxic burn pits. they are also screening every veteran to comes to -- that comes to any facility. guest: that is why the v.a. has ramped up its hiring. it is already second-largest

agency in terms of spending within the federal government. up to 450,000 employees. $320 billion it next year or for the current fiscal year. they have put in emphasis on that, getting more doctors in, more nurses, more staff, more claims so they can handle this workload they saw coming down the line. i got a chance to talk to secretary mcdonough and other secretaries and they have said with all of that hiring, they think this coming year they are going to have a pretty heavy emphasis on that. the numbers are just going to increase for the short-term. the backlog is going to increase. the backlog is an abrupt's ability claims that takes more than four months to process. that was as low as 70,000 before covid hit. it started to swell after covid

and now we are seeing it go up even higher. they are predicting it will rise to the middle of next year before they can get a handle on this flight of claims coming in. host: for those who would like to call and ask a question, central time zone, 202-748-8000. mountain pacific, 202-748-8001. we have a lance of the site for veterans and their families. that number is 202-748-8002. a new york times article about investigation of artillery blast exposure, a bombardment that broke the islamic state in syria and iraq. it also took a toll on the troops to fire the cannons. what do we know about that and what has been the response?

guest: war causes a lot of problems, not just for those being shot at. we are talking about traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, the conditions the troops were forced to put up with. since the story broke, the v.a. secretary has said his staff has started to reach out to some of these folks monitoring these individuals, see if there are ways they can find to help these folks. is not in in the system yet necessarily. the goal is to try and identify early are there problems we are seeing, are there things they can treat. this has been one of the knocks on the v.a., they are two reactive -- too reactive. the v.a. has said we need to find ways to dissipate trying to

help before that happens. host: in addition to the interview he did with you, he spoke at the national press club about progress made at the department. [video clip] >> v.a. processed nearly 2 million claims in 2023, shattering the previous year's record, to that point the highest ever. that meant 1.5 million veterans and their families and survivors received over 160 $3 billion in earned benefits. we are also providing more care. dva delivered more than 116 million health care appointments , exceeding last year's number by more than 3 million. it is not just more care, it is better care, world-class care.

study after study shows we deliver better health outcomes than the rest of the health care system for our veterans which is a big reason nearly 90% of veterans that come to v.a. trust us to deliver their outpatient care. host: that was secretary of the v.a., dennis mcdonough. what unique of those numbers? is it started to trickle down to veterans? guest: it is a lot of big numbers. v.a. services are in demand and the number of veterans in america is steadily declining. the big wave of veterans is older generations. we are seeing her folks come in but they are not replacing. a few years ago, 23 million veterans, now we are talking about 18 million veterans.

v.a. services seem to be even more in demand than they have been. more folks reaching out, more folks with more complicated medical histories. as the secretary said, they are seeing more disability claims. they are processing more claims than ever before. even as the number of veterans in america is going down, we are seeing because in demand continue to rise. host: let's talk to callers. johnny is first in south carolina. caller: i am a 77-year-old veteran. my benefits have cut down from 60% when i was 62 to 30%. i tried to get help from my congressman, no results. i have no idea why they want to

do that to me because i have had stomach problems. i can keep nothing on my stomach . host: you are going to v.a. facilities? at v.a. facilities? caller: yes, in charleston. [indiscernible] guest: getting your disability rating produced is unusual and i think that is something there was able to reach out to if they're not getting response. the joke among veterans advocates is if you have seen one v.a.. there are some who are great.

some have backlogs. some it is frustrating to get to a doctor. folks who can access the care are happy with it but the wait times are still too high. a lot of that depends on his illiberal area or metropolitan. host: nico is next. caller: i am an army veteran. i did military police investigations. the reason i duly did military was because the previous commander in chief and his policies regarding transgender people in the military. i had been bullied and ostracized. even after leaving the service people thanked me for my service and they are republican, i know they are voting against my rights.

it feels like they are stopping me in the face, turning around and trying to get rid of me. host: -- guest: to five years ago, the v.a. announced they would start transgender services. that was hailed but so far the v.a. has not follow through with the rulemaking answering to offer that. that has been a point of frustration. in receipt of probations bills that have come out of the house, house republicans targeted this is one of these social issues they want to have. that would create a lot of complications for veterans applying -- relying on them.

for transgender veterans, that is not surprise me. there is a lot of next emotions from the caller because it is a situation where you don't know what is going to be there and it is hard to lie on v.a. if everything is up in the air. host: what about abortions in v.a. facilities? guest: that is another one in appropriations bills republicans say we need to target. pva said there was her offering abortions regardless of what state laws are. we are governed by federal law. if your state does not allow abortions, the v.a. can perform abortions and allow them. they laid out some broad areas where they provide abortions for rape and incest. it is health and safety of the mother but it is defined broadly.

that has lawmakers upset there are not more specifics. they have performed fewer than 100 abortions over the past year. it is not a major operation. it is not a major drain on resources. it is not something creating a lot of quality but it had political issue and one we have seen a few lawsuits filed over. host: let's talk to henry next. caller: dva, i applied for that -- the v.a., i have applied for that. i applied under the pact act for diabetes and hypertension. i got a letter yesterday after i applied in may.

they denied it, even sleep apnea. i used to have sleep apnea because i am a vietnam veteran. i am 74 years old now. i got sleep apnea because i had it. the v.a. did not know anything. guest: did they deny your hypertension claim for agent orange exposure? caller: yes. and the denied -- they denied sleep apnea. i took the sleep study and have to go a private doctor to get surgery done. i could not tie it back to this stuff. they denied everything. i am done with them. they talk a good game but when the rubber hits the road, it

don't get me wrong i love my doctors down there at the v.a. they have been taking care of me pretty well. guest: i hope the caller does not give up. this is a theme we hear from a lot of veterans. navigating this system is so frustrating. they throw their hands up in the air. i am glad they're using v.a. services and having some success. my unprofessional advice would be to go to a veterans service organization and reach out to someone like disabled american veterans, american league. host: hypertension should be covered. guest: hypertension is covered under the pact act. there is possible there was something that fear in the way he filed. it is possible there is a minor mistake. this frustrates a lot of veterans. a lot of people assume this should be as easy as filling out an annex card and sending it in.

this is a complicated process and if you don't have the right people with you, you could end up missing out on benefits and on real help you need. host: jim is in whitehall, maryland. guest: i am a retired -- caller: i am a retired air force person and i love the v.a. i big complaint is with other veterans. i find so many of them file bogus claims. a veteran reaches the age of 65 and all of a sudden the sudden they are on social security and they realize they don't have enough retirement. they hit the v.a. up with every claim in the world. a lot of them get turned down and they get mad and complain about the v.a.. we spent two to four years in the military, you think the government owes you but you don't claim anything for 50

years and then you get to retirement age. it is not the v.a.'s fault they did not plan for retirement. i think it is wrong that the v.a. pays for erectile dysfunction and all these other small claims when you could get that in 50 years you did not claim. the v.a. is getting a bad rap. they do nothing but help veterans. i want to thank them for everything they have done. guest: that may push back a little bit. -- let me push back a little bit. the v.a.'s response is that veterans have earned what veterans have earned and we have a process to weed out folks making bogus claims. the rate of claims rejected is pretty steady. there is not a real sign that folks are filing bogus claims.

folks who are looking at a lot of transition issues. they might be trying to find a job. there is a lot of machoness in the military, saying i don't need help. sometimes these problems take years to develop. tonight's is one commandment see when you are younger but as you get older it gets worse and worse. i understand where the caller is coming from. there is a lot of frustration in the veterans community. there are also a lot of veterans where it takes years for these problems to issue. issues can take five to 10 years before you see long-term respiratory things. i would not judge a veteran who took 10 years before they filed for the first time because some health issues may be lingering in their body and the country has made a commitment. when we find out this is something costing you, we have a responsibility to make sure you are taken care of. host: you wrote an article,

"advocates push supreme court to extend educational veterans benefits." what is that about? guest: this is a big case that has to do with the main education benefits, the post 9/11 g.i. bill and the older montgomery g.i. bill. the g.i. bill paid some money but didn't cover the full cost of college tuition. the post 9/11 g.i. bill covers the entire cost, 36 months of tuition, room and board, other stipends. this case deals with any army veteran who tried to cap into both benefits and the v.a. said he couldn't use the old one. . he exhausted all of his education benefits but said i paid into this bill program, i know you are phasing it out, but i invested in it and i should get another year of tuition money. it would help me with my studies.

the v.a. said you can only pick one of the two. this fight has been for years. you have to pick one of the two? it fits into technical areas but depending on how to record, we could see 1.8 million veterans get an extra year of college tuition to be able to finish up a degree or get a graduate degree. a lot of these folks are through and not doing this, but it is significant to look at the future and say how are we dividing benefits up? what is owed to veterans? the montgomery g.i. bill, they paid into it. can we just erase that off of the board? host: -- is next in nevada. caller: thank you so much for taking my call. i would like for you to ask the gentleman to explain ideas that a veteran, 100% disabled and

medically retired is not receiving retirement pay. between -- and the v.a., the v.a. takes the veterans retirement pay because they are receiving 100% disability when congress passed a law back in 2004 that allowed veterans to be able to double dip, which means getting disability and their retirement pay. i never received a check. i had my senator look into the problem and all i get is a

stalemate. maybe good comment on this. guest: the answer is that it is going to cost a lot. there are offsets that if you're receiving disability benefits and retirement pay,, two different things. one is paying you for the injuries you sustained, one is for the time in the military. if you are getting both, you may not be getting the entirety of both. . the answer boils down to -- recess to pay for this it has been a point of frustration. host: hi, helen. caller: i am a veteran and why is it if you make over 6000 a

year you don't qualify for services like dental or vision? guest: the v.a. does extend a lot of benefits to veterans who are impoverished, who really need -- veterans who are well off have reached certain income levels. they can get medical services on their own. if it is credited to military service and the result of being in the ranks, the able cover it. we >> c-span's washington journal, our live forum involving you to discuss the latest issues in government, politics, and public policy, from washington and

across the country. saturday morning, we will discuss issues related to current, retired, and former veterans. in our spotlight on podcasts segment, a marine veteran talks about his podcast that focuses on real-life stories of active-duty military and veterans. washington journal. join in the conversation live at 7:00 eastern saturday morning on c-span, c-span now, or online at c-span.org. c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including charter communications. >> charter is proud to be recognized as one of the best internet providers. we are just getting started, building 100,000 miles of new infrastructure to reach those who need it most.

>> charter comnications supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> monday, what c-span's series in partnership with the library of congress, books that shaped america. we will feature milton and rose friedman's book "free to choose," written shortly after developing the television series by the same name and argues for limited government regulation and school choice. a bestseller, "free to choose" continues to spark debate. milton friedman won the nobel prize for economics and was an advisor to margaret thatcher and ronald reagan, who presented him with the presidential medal of freedom in 1988. he was a lecturer at the university of economic -- lecturer in economics at the university of southern

california. he will join us to discuss the book. watch books that shaped america, including "free to choose," monday at 9:00 eastern live on c-span, our free video app, or online at c-span.org. the short to scan the qr code to listen to our companion for -- feature just -- be sure to scan the qr code to listen to our companion. >> next on "after words," greg lukianoff argues that the right to free speech is being threatened by cancel culture. he is interviewed by "reason" magazine's matt welch. "after words" is a program featuring guest hosts, interviewing top nonfiction authors about their latest work. >> it has been five years since you cowrote "the coddling of the american mind." since then, there has been quite a number of books toe