North Carolina Congresswoman Deborah Ross is calling on Congress to deliver long-awaited compensation to victims of Camp Lejeune's contaminated drinking water, while sharply criticizing President Donald Trump's recent remarks linking the resolution of their claims to the midterm elections.
Speaking on the House floor during Veterans Day proceedings Wednesday, the Second District Democrat said thousands of veterans and military families are still waiting for the federal government to make good on its promise to compensate people harmed by decades of toxic chemical exposure at the Marine Corps base.
"Many victims are still waiting for our government to do right by them," Ross said. "Too many have been left waiting for help that never arrived. Some have passed away without ever seeing their claims adjudicated."
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, signed into law in August 2022, created a path for people exposed to contaminated drinking water at the base between 1953 and 1987 to seek compensation from the federal government.
More than 400,000 administrative claims have been filed under the law. However, more than four years after its passage, most remain unresolved.
Ross described the human cost of the delays, noting that veterans and military families who served and lived at Camp Lejeune have suffered from serious illnesses linked to toxic chemicals in the drinking water.
"These men and women served our country honorably, only to suffer from the devastating illnesses caused by one of the worst toxic water contamination disasters in the U.S.," she said.
Ross criticizes Trump's Greenville remarks
Ross also took aim at comments President Trump made during an October 21 campaign rally in Greenville, North Carolina, where he tied the resolution of Camp Lejeune contamination claims to the outcome of the midterm elections.
"Just last month, our president decided to dangle the fate of their futures in front of them as a political ploy," Ross said.
"It's disrespectful, it's disturbing, and it is time to put politics aside and deliver swift justice and fair compensation to Camp Lejeune victims."
Trump's comments came as federal litigation over the Camp Lejeune Justice Act continued in the Eastern District of North Carolina, where thousands of lawsuits have been filed.
Attorneys representing claimants and the Justice Department remain divided over how to resolve the cases, including what evidence should be required to establish eligibility and how compensation should be determined.
The parties have also been working toward a broader settlement framework, although no comprehensive agreement has been announced.
Growing pressure for action
Ross has been among the lawmakers pushing for changes to the Camp Lejeune Justice Act to address legal and procedural obstacles facing claimants.
She has supported the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act, bipartisan legislation intended to improve the claims process and address problems that have emerged since the original law took effect.
Her Veterans Day remarks came as another North Carolina Democrat, Congressman Don Davis, also spoke on the House floor about the federal government's obligation to veterans and military families affected by the contamination.
Davis, an Air Force veteran who represents North Carolina's First Congressional District, paid tribute to Marines and their families who lived and worked at Camp Lejeune without knowing the drinking water could make them sick.
"I believe we have a sacred obligation to these service members and their families to right this wrong," Davis said.
Both lawmakers emphasized that veterans and their families should not have to continue waiting for compensation years after Congress passed legislation intended to provide them a path to justice.
For Ross, the issue is not simply one of legal procedure or political disagreement, but a matter of honoring the nation's commitment to those who served.
Her message to Congress was clear: put politics aside and deliver fair compensation to Camp Lejeune victims before more die waiting for their claims to be resolved.
