CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – When members of Congress return from their month-long recess in September, they’ll only have a few days to address an important deadline to avoid possible delays to veteran’s medical benefits.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is facing a roughly $3 billion budget shortfall, mostly for the PACT Act, that it says must be addressed by Sept. 20. That’s for fiscal year 2024. The VA also said it needs an additional $12 billion for “medical care” for fiscal year 2025.

Congress approved the PACT Act two years ago to provide VA care to veterans who suffered from exposure to toxic military burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US military regularly burned everything on the battlefield from chemicals, human and medical waste, petroleum and paints – ignited by jet fuel. The burn pits sent black plumes of smoke into the air and in the lungs of American service members.

Army combat veteran Capt. (Ret.) Ryan Persinger was exposed to burn pits while he served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. His job was mostly in military air cargo operations (2009-2011) where he spent many days aboard aircraft – flying through the smoke.

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“When there was smoke or when there was dust or anything like that … was the last thing on my mind … ‘Hey what’s in it … what am I breathing?'” Persinger said.  “The best way to describe it, basically, is just a thick cloud of unknown.”

When Persinger returned home after the first deployment, he said he felt sick and experienced problems with his esophagus. He eventually discovered other symptoms that were service-related to open-air burn pits.

“I started to experience some respiratory type of things … some GI tract issues. I could tell something wasn’t right,” Persinger remembered. “Some days I just wanted to stay home and lay down or be alone and get through it.”

Army Sgt. (Ret.) James McCormick felt much the same. McCormick was deployed to Kuwait in 2019 as part of a base security detail. He also claims burn pits created medical issues for him when he returned home.

“Whenever I noticed I had two tumors growing in my arm, that was kind of a wake-up call,” recalled McCormick. “My sinuses … getting sick a lot just a chronic cough.”

The consequences of McCormick’s illness from exposure to burn pits cost him more than just his previous good health.  The admitted “life of the party” before his deployment went through a downward spiral.

“I lost friends. I was married at a time … which I am no longer married. I had a hard time with my civilian work and relationships,” said McCormick.

When the PACT Act was approved two years ago to help servicemembers like Persinger, McCormick and thousands of others, its purpose was to provide medical assistance for diseases most likely caused by toxins released by the military trash fires. Both Persinger and McCormick rely on that money for medical assistance.

But now, that medical care could soon be delayed.

The VA recently told Congress that a higher-than-expected number of veterans signed up seeking care. And that’s the reason for the budget shortfall.

The chairman of the US House Veterans Affairs committee Mike Bost (R-IL), described the whole budget funding problem as “mismanagement.” He blamed top leaders in the VA, and he’s threatening to subpoena them to testify before Congress to find answers.

Meanwhile, US Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), has now filed legislation to supplement almost $3 billion.

“We can’t deny the brave veterans who sacrificed to protect our country the benefits they’ve earned, because VA doesn’t have the resources,” said Brown.

Both Persinger and McCormick agree.

“It’s frustrating. You start receiving a benefit. All of a sudden, they (medical benefits) are taken away. It’s kind of a kick in the gut,” said Persinger.

“Veterans come first. If you’re gonna send us over there (military deployment), at least take care of us when we come home,” said McCormick.

If there’s no fix from Congress by Sept. 20, PACT Act medical payments due Oct. 1 to millions of veterans could be disrupted.

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