Gillespie Montgomery: “later today I and my colleagues, Jim Slattery of Kansas, J. Roy Rowland of Georgia, Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts, and…”

“later today I and my colleagues, Jim Slattery of Kansas, J. Roy Rowland of Georgia, Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Bob Clement of Tennessee, will introduce legislation to pay compensation to veterans who served in the Persian Gulf and who have chronic disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illnesses. Until we have the scientific information we need, we must assume that these disabilities are related to their military service. It is time to give disabled Persian Gulf veterans the benefit of the doubt. Some of our Persian Gulf veterans are very sick; some cannot even work. The Veterans Affairs Committee has held nine hearings on these illnesses, sometimes referred to as Persian Gulf syndrome. We have directed VA to provide priority care for Persian Gulf veterans and a good deal of research has been authorized. The bottom line is that we don't have the answers we need for effective medical treatment. Veterans can't prove that these symptoms are service-connected. We may not have answers for some time. We cannot always wait on science. These veterans need our help now. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation to compensate our disabled Persian Gulf veterans”