Khamisiyah eventually persuaded DOD and VA that postwar illnesses are linked to wartime exposures.

But characterizing the subtle linkage between low-level toxic assaults and very chronic health consequences remains a dauntingly complex research challenge. As we will hear in testimony today, efforts to map uncharted neurological pathways between sarin-induced brain damage and diverse manifestations of illnesses are made even more difficult by unreliable exposure data. The dimensions of Gulf war syndromes may be obscured by epidemiological conclusions, based on unreliable exposure estimates and plume models. And promising research hypotheses and treatment concepts still face institutional obstacles to Federal support as both funding and momentum behind Gulf war illness research appear to be waning.

So we asked our witnesses to give us their assessment of the status and future direction of Gulf war research. As in the past, we ask veterans to testify first. Their perspectives always inform and enrich our subsequent discussion, and we sincerely appreciate the patience and forbearance of our government witnesses in agreeing to sit on our second panel.

Just as the liberation of Kuwait was an international mission, the search for postwar causes and cures has been a coalition effort as well. Over the years we have been fortunate to be able to form a close collaboration with our counterparts in the United Kingdom. Continuing that transatlantic partnership, we are joined today by the Right Honorable Lord Morris of Manchester. Lord Morris is a leading advocate for Gulf war veterans in Britain and a strong voice behind the breakthrough research needed to solve the mysteries of exposure-related diseases.

This is not the first time Lord Morris has joined us. Two years ago, he and his colleague from the House of Commons, Mr. Bruce George, added invaluable insight and focus to our discussion, so much so that their obvious depth of knowledge and rhetorical flare made some of us feel a little intimidated and, believe it or not, tongue-tied. They were just so witty and engaging. So when we invited Lord Morris this year, we commoners asked if he would be just a little less lordly today, and he graciously agreed. He is a valued colleague of ours and a true friend to Gulf war veterans of all nations.

Welcome, Lord Morris. You honor this subcommittee again with your presence, and we look forward to your continued contribution to our work.

And we welcome all the panelists, all the individuals in both panels. We thank them for being here as well.

[The prepared statement of Hon. Christopher Shays follows:]

Last weekend, in dedicating the World War II monument and celebrating Memorial Day, we acknowledged our profound obligation to those of past generations who made noble sacrifice in the service of liberty. That same duty to remember demands our focus today on another overdue national remembrance.

The living warriors of this generation who fought in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm need just one thing written in stone - a sustained commitment to research and treatments for the mysterious maladies and syndromes triggered by battlefield exposures. And they cannot wait sixty years for their deserved testimonial to become a reality.

This Subcommittee, with oversight purview of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD), today convenes our seventeenth hearing on Gulf War veterans' illnesses. Over the last decade, we've followed the hard path traveled by sick Gulf War veterans as they bore the burdens of their physical illnesses and the mental anguish caused by official skepticism and intransigence. It was their determination that overcame entrenched indifference and bureaucratic inertia. Their persistence, and a home video of chemical weapons munitions being blown up at Khamisiyah, eventually persuaded the Departments of Defense and VA that post-war illnesses are linked to wartime exposures.

Statement of Rep. Christopher Shays

June 1, 2004

Page 2 of 2

But characterizing the subtle linkage between low-level toxic assaults and varied chronic health consequences remains a dauntingly complex research challenge. As we will hear in testimony today, efforts to map uncharted neurological pathways between sarin-induced brain damage and diverse manifestations of illness are made even more difficult by unreliable exposure data. The dimensions of Gulf War syndromes may be obscured by epidemiological conclusions based on unreliable exposure estimates and plume models. And, promising research hypotheses and treatment concepts still face institutional obstacles to federal support as both funding and momentum behind Gulf War illnesses research appear to be waning.

So we asked our witnesses to give us their assessment of the status and future direction of Gulf War research. As in the past, we asked veterans to testify first. Their perspectives always inform and enrich our subsequent discussion, and we appreciate the patience and forbearance of our government witnesses in agreeing to sit on our second panel.

Just as the liberation of Kuwait was an international mission, the search for post-war causes and cures has been a coalition effort as well. Over the years, we have been fortunate to be able to form a close collaboration with our counterparts in the United Kingdom. Continuing that transatlantic partnership, we are joined today by the Rt. Hon. Lord Morris of Manchester. Lord Morris is a leading advocate for Gulf War veterans in Britain, and a strong voice behind the breakthrough research needed to solve the mysteries of exposure-related diseases.

This is not the fist time Lord Morris has joined us. Two years ago he and his colleague from the House of Commons, Mr. Bruce George, added invaluable insight and focus to our discussion. So much so that their obvious depth of knowledge and rhetorical flair made some of us feel a little intimidated and tongue-tied. So when we invited him this year, we commoners asked if he would be just a bit less Lordly today and he graciously agreed. He is a valued colleague of ours, and a true friend to Gulf War veterans of all nations.

Welcome Lord Morris. You honor the Subcommittee again with your presence and we look forward to your continued contributions to our work.

L

Mr. SHAYS. And at this time I would recognize Mr. Sanders, who has been at the forefront of this issue at probably all 17 hearings and probably some hearings I didn't even know about. Mr. Sanders.

Mr. SANDERS. Thank you very much, Chris. And congratulations to you and your staff for doing something that is very important, and that is reminding the men and women who are suffering from Gulf war illness that we have not forgotten and we are not going to give up on this issue.

I think in many ways when we look back on the history of how our country has treated veterans, whether it is exposure to radiation after World War II, whether it is Agent Orange from Vietnam, or whether it is Gulf war illness, I think many veterans understand that the U.S. Government, DOD and the VA, have not done all that they could to protect veterans who come home from war with one or another illness. And it's no secret if one reads the transcripts that I have been less than impressed by the work of the VA and DOD in responding to the pain.

What Chris has just said is that time after time, meeting after meeting, we have heard people coming up here talking about terrible ailments. I have held a number of meetings in the State of Vermont, a small State that did not send huge numbers of people over to the first Gulf war, and we heard from hundreds of people who had one or another serious problems.

Also, what is important about this whole debate is if we can get a better understanding of the causation of Gulf war illness and the impact that chemical exposure has on human health, we are going to learn a heck of a lot in terms of civilian problems as well. This is not just a military problem. There is a lot to be learned about how people in this country who are not in the military become ill as well. So there is a great deal of work to be done.

We are very pleased that our friends from the United Kingdom are here, and we thank the guests who are going to testify and our friends in the military for being here as well. So thank you very much. And I am pleased to be here.

Mr. SHAYS. Thank you, Mr. Sanders.

At this time the Chair would recognize the vice chairman of the committee, Mr. Turner, who has been a real gift to this subcommittee, and we thank him for being here.

Mr. TURNER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your convening this hearing today and for your continuing effort on focusing on the Gulf war illness. I know that your work is to ensure the veterans receive the treatment and medical care they deserve, and also that there are some very important correlations between the work and study of the Gulf war illness and the issues that this committee faces in homeland security and national security.

We all know that the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces fought bravely in the Gulf war, and they worked to disarm Iraq. Many ammunition bunkers and warehouses were destroyed by coalition forces, and many times the forces did not know what they were destroying. Only years after the war did we learn that some of these bunkers may have contained chemical nerve agents, thus exposing these troops to various levels of toxins.

The science and modeling that is being utilized in determining the root causes of this illness, I think, is very important to us as

we look to our attempts at protecting both civilian populations and our military populations as we face not only further conflicts in the Middle East, but in protecting our homeland.

It is interesting to me how many times we sit in hearings where with great certainty people tell us what the effects will be of a certain type of terrorist attack or a certain use of weapon, but in this instance we struggle in trying to determine what had occurred and what the effects would be in determining what the outcome had been. We have a lot to learn from this process not just in looking at protecting our veterans, but also in the future of protecting our men and women in uniform and also our communities. Thank you. Mr. SHAYS. I thank the gentleman.

At this time the Chair would recognize Mr. Ruppersberger. Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Yes. Also, Mr. Chairman, thank you for your continued dedication of this issue and all members on this committee who have worked hard to keep this issue alive.

There were many veterans of the Gulf war fighting an uphill battle here at home to get their symptoms recognized and diagnosed, and to get service-connected disability ratings, and to get the_support they needed to move forward with their lives. Now, I am grateful that the Congress was able to respond and enact legislation to complete research to speed up ratings and to compensate veterans. I am also encouraged that we are continuing to hold hearings like this one to make sure that these veterans are properly cared for, and to make sure we learn the lessons we as a Nation need to learn to prevent future veterans from facing the same health care battles.

I realize the main focus for today's hearing will be on continued research, the money promised and invested in research. Research is certainly an important part of the puzzle here, but as the newcomer to the issue and one who prefers to get to the bottom line, I am most interested in three specific areas: One, after spending time and money on research for many years, now what have we learned? Two, where are we in relation to treatment? Are we helping the veterans, and are any of them getting better? Three, what lessons have we learned? Is our recordkeeping better? Are our troops getting better physicals prior to deployment and followup? Do we have the right people on the ground conducting the experiments needed should an event occur so we have the science needed to diagnose and treat them?

I think today's hearing is important for many reasons. First and foremost, the veterans of the Gulf war answered the call of duty, and many of them came home sick. We owe them the best we can to find out why and to help them feel better.

Second, we have troops today in the same part of the world for much longer periods of time.

After so many hearings on disparity of health care for National Guard and Reserves versus active military personnel, I am worried we have not learned enough from the Gulf war lessons, illnesses to prevent another situation on a grander scale. I look forward to hearing.

Unfortunately I have another hearing; I will be back, but I want to make sure for the record that my questions will be presented.