Supporting the troops: House passes bi-partisan ammendment to fund research on Gulf War Syndrome

Congressman Kucinich offered an amendment to H.R. 2863, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006.

"Mr. Chairman, this budget-neutral amendment will improve the health of veterans past, present and future by funding research on Gulf War illnesses. I am proud to do so with my colleagues, Mr. Shays, and Mr. Sanders. I thank both of the cosponsors for their commitment to veterans’ health.

"I would also like to point out that this amendment is endorsed by the American Legion, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the National Gulf War Resource Center, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

"Mr. Chairman, fourteen years after the 1990-1991 Gulf War, between 26 and 32 percent of those who served in that war continue to suffer from serious and persistent health problems — typically multiple symptoms that include severe headaches, memory problems, muscle and joint pain, severe gastrointestinal problems, respiratory problems, skin disorders and other problems. These conditions are often called ’Gulf War illnesses’ or Gulf War syndrome.

"In the early years after the war, little was understood about this problem. In fact, many attributed the problems to stress or psychological trauma incurred on the battlefield. So in the late 1990’s, Congress authorized a scientific research program and created a committee to advise the VA on how to prioritize that research. That committee, the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ illnesses, released their report last November. It had several landmark findings.

"First, they determined that the existence of these serious and often debilitating problems could not be scientifically explained by stress or psychiatric illness

"Second, they noticed that we are starting to find that the veterans are having problems with their neurological and immunological systems. For example, ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, which is a rapidly progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease, occurs in Persian Gulf veterans with twice the frequency of peer veterans that were not deployed.

"Third, they found that there are several possible causes of these diseases. A list of potential exposures demonstrates the complexity of what we are dealing with. A short list includes chemical weapons, biological weapons, drugs to protect from biological and chemical weapons, oil-well-fire smoke, pesticides, insect repellants, individual or multiple vaccines, and many, many more.

"Fourth, the Committee found that this type of research is important not only for ill veterans, but for current military personnel and for homeland security. This research can prepare us to counter or treat chemical weapons exposures and tell us whether our existing countermeasures may do long term harm.

"Finally, they found that there is still no effective treatment for those suffering from Gulf War illnesses.

"The result of the collective findings of the VA report is this: Significant scientific progress has been made and more research is needed.

"Our amendment earmarks $10 million out of the account called Army Research, Development, Test and Evaluation. The money would go to a research program administered by the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command in the DoD, for identifying the biological mechanisms behind the illnesses — particularly the neurological and immunological ones; the chronic disease effects; better diagnostic criteria for the illnesses; and identification of treatments. The MRMC will design a research plan for that purpose, relying heavily on the expertise outside DoD and the VA. It will be subject to peer review by experts, a significant number of which will be independent of DoD.

"$10 million will have a large impact on veterans who rely on the government to take care of them after they have taken care of us.

"I urge my colleagues to support the Kucinich-Shays-Sanders amendment. Vote ’yes’ to restore research funding for Gulf War Illnesses.

"I wish to insert letters of support from Veterans’ groups into the Record."

The amendment was agreed to.