WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) welcomed Danielle Robinson to Washington D.C. for President Biden’s first State of the Union Address. Ms. Robinson – who is the widow of Heath Robinson, a central Ohio veteran who passed away in May 2020, and was exposed to burn pits while deployed – was invited to President Biden’s State of the Union Address by Dr. Jill Biden.

“I was very glad to hear that Dr. Biden invited Ms. Robinson – a fierce advocate for Ohio Veterans – to attend President Biden’s first State of the Union address,” said Brown. “We have a responsibility to ensure that Heath’s legacy lives on by providing our servicemembers and veterans with the care and benefits they earned by serving this country. Ms. Robinson’s invitation to the State of the Union is a testament to the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to veterans and their families.”

“Heath should have been the person invited to the State of the Union address during his battle and fight, not me. Since he is no longer here with us, I am honored to be the person sitting for him and all his brothers and sisters in our military family who are affected by toxic exposure to burn pits,” said Ms. Robinson.

Brown has led the fight in Congress to help veterans who were exposed to toxic substances, introducing the SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act. A modified version of Heath’s bill was included in the Comprehensive and Overdue Support for Troops (COST) of War Act of 2021.

Earlier in February, the Senate unanimously passed The Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, which will expand access to health care for toxic-exposed veterans, establish a new process through which VA will determine future presumptive conditions, and provide overdue benefits to thousands of toxic-exposed veterans who have been long-ignored or forgotten.

A one-pager on the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act can be found HERE.

Dr. Biden was also joined by Refynd Duro, a progressive care unit nurse at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, as well as Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, who announced earlier this year that Intel will build a $20 billion semiconductor plant in New Albany, which is expected to create 10,000 jobs.


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