WASHINGTON — The US Senate largely passed a bill Tuesday to expand health care and disability benefits for 3.5 million veterans. Specifically, these are veterans fighting illnesses that they believe are linked to toxic burn pit exposure (including after the 9/11 attacks). The vote came after several Republican senators blocked the bill over concerns about how to pay for it. Now, the bill, called the Honoring our PACT Act, heads to President Joe Biden, who calls it a “lifeline” for veterans. If signed into law it will be the biggest expansion of veterans’ benefits in over three decades.