Thomas Daschle: “Until we have all the facts, Congress must continue, as we have done since 1981, to give veterans the benefit of the…”

“Until we have all the facts, Congress must continue, as we have done since 1981, to give veterans the benefit of the doubt and provide them free health care for conditions potentially related to their exposure. The NAS is helping us compile an important scientific record that is instrumental to Congress' effort to address the health and compensation needs of veterans. I commend the Institute of Medicine for its excellent work. This report builds on our scientific knowledge of the long-term health consequences of exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides. It recognizes that our understanding of these issues is still evolving. And it recommends additional work that should be done to further that understanding. The NAS report also serves as a valuable reminder that the impact of war is felt decades beyond the final shots. This holds for the Persian Gulf war as well as the war in Vietnam. We must be prepared to learn from the scientific effort on Agent Orange and apply these lessons to the effort to discover the true health effects of environmental hazards on the men and women who served in the gulf and on their children. I look forward to working with the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, veterans organizations, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the NAS, independent scientists, and others to address the issues raised in this report and to continue to search for the truth and a better understanding of the lasting health effects of military service.”