WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), alongside Representatives Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Richard Hudson (R-NC), recently penned an op-ed in the Jacksonville Daily News calling on Congress to honor Camp Lejeune Marine veterans and their families by passing the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act.
Read the full op-ed HERE or below.
This week as we reflect on Veterans Day and the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps, we are called to honor the Corps’ legacy of service and sacrifice. There is perhaps no higher form of honor than action, and when it comes to the veterans who served at Marine Base Camp Lejeune, our country has tragically failed in its most fundamental duty: to protect those who served.
For decades, service members and their families stationed at Camp Lejeune in our home state of North Carolina drank, bathed, and cooked with water contaminated by toxic chemicals — a danger now known to government but left unaddressed for years. The human toll is heartbreaking. Veterans, their families, and civilians have faced devastating illnesses, and for too many, untimely deaths linked directly to that poisoned water.
In 2022, Congress took an important step toward addressing this historical injustice by passing the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA). The law was intended to hold the U.S. government accountable and give affected veterans and their families a path to compensation and closure. Yet, three years later, countless victims are still waiting for relief.
The CLJA was a crucial milestone, but its implementation has been mired in red tape, legal bottlenecks, and procedural hurdles that have slowed justice to a crawl. The result is an overwhelmed system and protracted legal battles, leaving veterans and other victims in limbo. That is why we introduced the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act — to restore the spirit of the original law and finally deliver the fairness these families deserve. Our bill increases the number of courts where Camp Lejeune cases can be heard, breaking the logjam and allowing claims to move forward more efficiently.
It also reaffirms a foundational American principle: the right to a jury trial. Despite the original legislation’s intent, opposition has left that right uncertain. Our legislation makes clear that veterans are entitled to have their case heard by a jury of their peers. Finally, this bill addresses an issue that has quietly burdened too many families — the lack of clear guidance on attorney’s fees. Our new bill sets reasonable caps to ensure that financial relief Congress intended for veterans and victims benefits them, not the lawyers representing them.
The men and women who served at Camp Lejeune are American patriots who showed up every day prepared to defend this nation. Instead, many were poised by the water they trusted their government to provide. Ensuring justice for them is not partisan, it’s a moral obligation. We are proud to have the backing nearly two dozen Veteran Service Organizations, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and many others who stand shoulder to shoulder in this fight.
As we honor our veterans this week, let us remember that true gratitude demands action. We cannot call ourselves champions of our military if we turn away when they need us most. The time for delay is over. Congress must come together and pass the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act.
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