Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring importance to a treatment issue that faces our Nation's veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury, TBI, and post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. In line with National Suicide Prevention Month, I am introducing the Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act today. This bill will help so many of our veterans who are suffering from TBI and PTSD by creating a pilot program, increasing their access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, HBOT. There are presently many treatments for PTSD and TBI, but they do not work for everyone. As a physician for over 30 years, I have long been a strong advocate for HBOT, since I was in the North Carolina legislature. This type of treatment has restored the lives of so many of our veterans when all else failed. But the Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to use this treatment despite many requests by Members of Congress. This is a bipartisan issue. It is time for Congress to authorize this treatment option by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Charitable organizations--donations, not taxpayer funds--will pay for this program. My pilot program should show how efficacious this treatment truly is. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, as we owe our veterans and their families this treatment option for those who have lost all hope to help their lives return to some sense of normalcy. ____________________”