FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
August 15, 2025

Cotton Statement on President Trump Signing the ACES Act into Law

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement celebrating President Trump's signing of the bipartisan, bicameral Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act into law. The ACES Act seeks to lower military aviation cancer rates and was passed by voice vote in the House and unanimously in the Senate earlier this year. The legislation was led in the Senate by Senators Cotton and Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) and in the House by Congressmen August Pfluger (Texas-11) and Jimmy Panetta (California-19).

“The ACES Act is now the law of the land. I’m grateful to President Trump for signing it today and for all his ongoing support of our veterans. We owe it to past, present, and future aviators in the armed forces to study the prevalence of cancer among this group of veterans,” said Senator Cotton.

“I am thrilled that President Trump has signed the ACES Act into law today. This legislation is more than just a bill—it's a lifeline and a message to every pilot who has put on the uniform to protect our skies that we will fight to protect their health in return. The ACES Act has been my top priority in Congress, and it is deeply personal to me. I introduced this bill in honor of my dear friend and former fighter pilot, Colonel Shurtleff, who recently lost his life in a second battle he never signed up to fight. We owe it to him, and every servicemember like him, to properly study the prevalence of military aviation cancer rates," said Congressman Pfluger.

Text of the bill can be found here.

Background:

The ACES Act builds on findings from a 2021 Air Force study showing that aircrew are at a higher risk of developing certain cancers. The legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to study cancer prevalence and mortality among individuals who served as active-duty aircrew in fixed-wing aircraft across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps to better understand the risks facing aircrew, identify opportunities for further research, and improve care for veterans.

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