In 1982 the Veterans Administration (VA) issued a pamphlet to Vietnam veterans addressing concerns about possible health risks of exposure to Agent Orange. In his introduction, VA Deputy Administrator Charles T. Hagel––later a U.S. senator from Nebraska (1997–2009)––referred to Public Law 97–72, by which Congress mandated long-term studies of effects of Agent Orange exposure.
Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
Agent Orange / Information for Veterans Who Served in Vietnam / Questions and Answers, Veterans Administration pamphlet, June 1982
Congress Investigates Agent Orange
In the late 1970s Congress began to address the effects of exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant used by the United States military during the Vietnam War. Congressional committees interviewed Vietnam veterans and consulted medical experts to explore possible links between Agent Orange and certain forms of cancer and other health problems. After experts confirmed the product was harmful to humans, Congress mandated the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct further research on consequences of Agent Orange exposure and passed laws providing benefits to affected veterans.
In 1982 the Veterans Administration (VA) issued a pamphlet to Vietnam veterans addressing concerns about possible health risks of exposure to Agent Orange. In his introduction, VA Deputy Administrator Charles T. Hagel––later a U.S. senator from Nebraska (1997–2009)––referred to Public Law 97–72, by which Congress mandated long-term studies of effects of Agent Orange exposure.
Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
