Key facts
- The PACT Act extended health care to veterans made sick by toxic burn pits. Hawley voted for it in June 2022.
- A month later he switched to no, with a Republican bloc that stalled it. He flipped back to yes in August 2022.
- In 2024 he accused Marine veteran Lucas Kunce of “stolen valor”; Border Patrol confirmed Kunce’s training was real.
The PACT Act flip-flop
The PACT Act extended health care to veterans made sick by toxic burn pits. Hawley voted for it in June 2022. A month later, with the bill nearly finished, he switched to no, part of a Republican bloc that stalled it. Veterans camped on the Capitol steps in protest. Only when the cameras and the outrage got too hot did Hawley suddenly rediscover his conscience and flip back to yes in August.
The “stolen valor” smear against a Marine
Then in 2024, the man who ran from the Capitol accused his opponent, Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, of “stolen valor” over his Border Patrol tactical training. A Border Patrol spokesperson confirmed the training was real. Veterans from both parties condemned the attack.
Credit where due
Credit where due: in February 2025 he was the only Republican to vote for a resolution protecting burn-pit veterans’ benefits. One vote. It doesn’t erase the rest.
The same move shows up elsewhere: the Medicaid cuts he voted for and then tried to undo. And the “stolen valor” attack came from the senator who fled the Capitol on January 6.
Sources
- Missouri Independent: “These people don’t care”: Senate GOP stalls burn-pit bill
- Missouri Independent: Senate reverses course and backs burn-pit aid
- NPR: Burn-pit bill stopped by GOP
- Kunce campaign: Veterans condemn Hawley’s “stolen valor” attack (partisan source)
- Task & Purpose: 2025 Senate vote on PACT Act protections