House subcommittee hears push for ACES Act to study elevated cancer rates among military aviators

A House Veterans Affairs subcommittee hearing on multiple veterans-related bills gave extended attention to HR 5305, the Aviator Cancers Examination Study (ACES) Act, a bipartisan measure that would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to partner with the National Academies of Sciences to study cancer prevalence among military aviators and identify service‑connected factors.

The measure’s supporters said peer‑reviewed studies show elevated cancer rates among aviators and that faster, focused research is needed to identify causes and prevention strategies. Representative August Pfluger, the bill’s lead House sponsor, described the bill as his top congressional priority and told the panel, “The ACES Act is not just a bill. It's a lifeline for those who have already given and continue to give so much for our freedom.”

Why it matters: witnesses cited multiple recent studies that found higher cancer incidence among certain aircrew. Representative Pfluger and colonel Andrew J. Shurtleff, an Air Force veteran who testified, said the research to date shows a pattern that warrants a focused, independent study to determine causal factors and mitigation steps.

Colonel Shurtleff testified about his own diagnosis and the limits of current knowledge. He told the subcommittee he was diagnosed with a large kidney tumor and metastatic disease in 2019, underwent surgeries and multiple treatments and said, “We must identify the root cause affecting otherwise healthy aircrew.” Shurtleff described the personal and family impact of his illness and said the ACES Act would help “regain the faith of our air crew and our government” by identifying risks unique to the aviation environment.

Supporters cited figures from prior research during the hearing: a 2021 Air Force cancer incidence study that committee members discussed reported roughly 29% higher probability of testicular cancer, 24% higher probability of melanoma and a 23% higher rate of prostate cancer among aircrew compared with the general population. Members and witnesses cautioned those figures are study findings and that ACES would aim to develop the evidence base needed to determine causation and appropriate policy responses.

VA officials said the department supports the intent of the ACES Act but requested edits to give the department flexibility and to avoid duplicating ongoing Department of Defense research. In her opening remarks, Kanisha Britton, the VA assistant deputy undersecretary (Veterans Benefits Administration), told the committee, “VA fully supports the intent of HR 530,” and that VA would like to work with the committee on drafting changes to the bill to ensure coordination with DOD studies.

Committee members pressed for urgency and for VA commitment to act quickly. Representative Pfluger and others urged the VA to brief the secretary and to prioritize the study, arguing that pilots and aircrew — many of whom enter service medically screened and physically fit — are showing troubling patterns of cancer diagnoses after service.

What’s next: sponsors said they will continue to move the bill with bipartisan, bicameral support and work with VA on the edits recommended by the department. The committee left the record open for follow‑up and asked agency witnesses to provide additional data and coordination plans.