Political Quotes

“My amendment would increase funding for the Peer-Reviewed Gulf War Illness Research Program under the Defense Health Program by $1 million and decrease the operation and maintenance defense-wide account by an equal amount. This amendment is similar to an amendment I offered last year that passed this body by voice vote, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment again this year. This amendment is intended to increase funding for innovative, competitively peer-reviewed research to provide a better understanding of the pathobiology underlying Gulf war illness, to identify objective markers for improved diagnosis, and to develop treatments for the complex of Gulf war illness symptoms and their underlying causes. Gulf war illness is estimated to have affected between 175,000 to 250,000 of the nearly 700,000 troops deployed to the first Gulf war. This program is working to make a significant impact on Gulf war illness and to improve the health and lives of affected veterans and their families. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to help find a cure for Gulf war illness, and I reserve the balance of my time.”