Gw Vets

[Berta]

After years of extensive work for GW veterans Denise Nichols has sent out the following results-

By the way dont miss Denise Nichols-Jerrel Cook's special guest-this Wednesday at 6 :30 EST at SVR veterans broadcast at

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toll free for call ins 1-877-213-4329

"AMENDMENT PURPOSE:

SA 3082. Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. Byrd, Mr. Bond, Mr. Feingold, Mr.

Webb, and Mr. Burr) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment

SA 2011 proposed by Mr. Nelson of Nebraska (for Mr. Levin) to the bill H.R.

1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military

activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense

activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel

strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on

the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle B of title II, add the following:

SEC. 214. GULF WAR ILLNESSES RESEARCH.

(a) Funding.--

(1) ADDITIONAL AMOUNT.--The amount authorized to be appropriated by section

201(1) for research, development, test, and evaluation, Army is hereby

increased by $15,000,000, with the amount of the increase to be allocated to

Medical Advanced Technology (PE #0603002A) for the Army to carry out, as part of

its Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, a program for Gulf War

Illnesses Research.

(2) OFFSET.--The amount authorized to be appropriated by section 101(2) for

missile procurement for the Army is hereby decreased by $15,000,000, with the

amount of the decrease to be allocated to amounts available for Patriot

System Summary (Line 2) for Patriot PAC-3 missiles.

(B) Purpose.--The purpose of the program shall be to develop diagnostic

markers and treatments for the complex of symptoms commonly known as ``Gulf War

Illnesses (GWI)'', including widespread pain, cognitive impairment, and

persistent fatigue in conjunction with diverse other symptoms and abnormalities,

that are associated with service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations in

the early 1990s during the Persian Gulf War.

© Program Activities.--

(1) Highest priority under the program shall be afforded to pilot and

observational studies of treatments for the complex of symptoms described in

subsection (B) and comprehensive clinical trials of such treatments that have

demonstrated effectiveness in previous past pilot and observational studies.

(2) Secondary priority under the program shall be afforded to studies that

identify objective markers for such complex of symptoms and biological

mechanisms underlying such complex of symptoms that can lead to the identification

and development of such markers and treatments.

(3) No study shall be funded under the program that is based on psychiatric

illness and psychological stress as the central cause of such complex of

symptoms (as is consistent with current research findings).

(d) Competitive Selection and Peer Review.--The program shall be conducted

using competitive selection and peer review for the identification of

activities having the most substantial scientific merit, utilizing individuals with

recognized expertise in Gulf War illnesses in the design of the solicitation

and in the scientific and programmatic review processes."