GULF WAR ILLNESS RESEARCH FUNDING CRITICAL CALL US REPRESENTATIVES IN DC

Final Push for Year for Gulf War Illness Research Funding

WE need lots of people on the phone to the US Representatives in DC First thing in the morning and throughout the day on Wednesday!  Deadline time!

The Gulf War Illness Research Funding should have broad support!  Call the US Representative Offices in Washington DC tommorrow!  Full Details Follows:

Hey all-
I wanted to let you know this letter is still circulating the House and any Member can sign on.  Members who have signed on so far are listed at the top.  Because the Defense bill is likely to be wrapped up into an omnibus, I wanted to make sure this gets to the people that need to see it before hand.  That means this letter will close for additional signatures on Wednesday December 9.   

Current signatories:  Kucinich, Filner, Buyer, Michaud, Henry Brown, Holt, Hall, Gonzalez, G. Moore, LoBiondo, Grijalva, Gutierrez, C. Brown, Berkley, Peterson, Conyers, McGovern, Boccieri, Don Young, Tiberi, LaTourette, Quigley, Schakowsky, Baldwin, Burton

Support Gulf War Illnesses Research
 

Sign on to the Kucinich-Filner-Buyer-Michaud-Brown-Holt request
 

Dear Colleague:

We invite you to join us in supporting research into Gulf War Illnesses (GWI) by signing onto a conferee letter to the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee requesting that they adopt the Senate level of $12 million for FY10.  The FY10 appropriations request of $25 million was endorsed by American Legion, AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, the ALS Association, and Veterans of Modern Warfare.

Earlier this fiscal year, the 454-page report by the Congressionally-mandated Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses, concluded that the extensive scientific evidence now available yields three conclusions: Gulf War illness is real, was caused by toxic exposures during the war, and there are no currently effective treatments. It affects at least 175,000 veterans, or one in four of those who served. A major April 2009 study by the Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed these numbers.

Unfortunately, as the research promise and science have advanced, overall funding for federal Gulf War illness research has declined dramatically since 2001. While $12 million is short of the inflation-adjusted $40 million spent in the years prior to 2001, it will fund 50% more pilot studies that try to identify treatments and diagnostic tests than the $8 million provided in the FY2010 House bill and provided in FY2009.

After years of waiting for research that finally addresses treatments rather than challenging the legitimacy of their illnesses, Gulf War veterans deserve this modest increase in hope for better health. To sign on or to ask any questions, please contact Vic Edgerton (Kucinich) at 5-5871.

Sincerely,

______________________          _______________________        _______________________

Dennis J. Kucinich                          Bob Filner                                       Steve Buyer

Member of Congress                       Chair,                                             Ranking Member,

      Committee on Veterans’ Affairs      Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

______________________          _______________________        _______________________

Michael H. Michaud                        Henry E. Brown                              Rush D. Holt

Chair,                                             Ranking Member,                            Member of Congress

Subcommittee on Health,                 Subcommittee on Health,                            

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs      Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

December XX, 2009

John P. Murtha

Chair

Defense Appropriations Subcommittee

Room H-149 The Capitol

Washington , DC 20515

C.W. Bill Young

Ranking Member

Defense Appropriations Subcommittee

1016 Longworth House Office Bldg.

Washington , DC 20515

Dear Chairman Murtha and Ranking Member Young:

As the conferees begin to work on the fiscal year 2010 Appropriations bill for the Subcommittee on Defense, we respectfully seek your support for retaining the Senate funding level of $12 million for Gulf War Veterans Illnesses research.

Earlier this fiscal year, the 454-page report by the Congressionally-mandated Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses, concluded that the extensive scientific evidence now available yields three conclusions: Gulf War illness is real, was caused by toxic exposures during the war, and there are no currently effective treatments. It affects at least 175,000 veterans, or one in four of those who served. A major April 2009 study by the Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed these numbers.

For Gulf War veterans, the illnesses mean “multiple concurrent symptoms typically includ(ing) persistent memory and concentration problems, chronic headaches, widespread pain, gastrointestinal problems, and other chronic abnormalities.”  The research also shows that Gulf War veterans suffer from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, at double the rate of their non-deployed peers.  The report finds that they may be at risk for other similar diseases like Multiple Sclerosis as they age.

The requested increase will fund 50% more pilot studies that try to identify treatments and diagnostic tests than the $8 million provided in the FY2010 House bill.  Any treatments that are identified could have profound implications for others suffering from similar chronic diseases as well as future military recruiting and retention efforts.  After years of waiting for research that finally addresses treatments rather than challenging the legitimacy of their illnesses, Gulf War veterans deserve this modest increase in hope for better health. Thank you for consideration of our request.

Sincerely,