Gul War Vets Need Your Help

Please help us on this action!
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All citizens, veterans, veteran family members and friends, employers and
employees can help! Let's make the effort to find research answers for
diagnosis and treatment for gulf war veterans both Operation Desert Storm
(90-91) and our current Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan Enduring
Freedom! It is simple show support by signing petition just sign on the
petition and then exit the site(
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/GulfWarillness/index.html) no
contribution is necessary!
We are using this as just a visual show of support. The Representatives we
are contacting listed below are being made aware of the response to the
petition in our letters and calls to them. We are also notifying media
sources of the responses to the petition when we are approaching them to
follow this issue. So we are using it as a visual demonstration of support!

Yes we have other supporters helping but we need more help with phone calls!
This is not just a one person effort but a combination with service
organizations, you, and civilians.

Then help by using a few minutes to make calls to the Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee Members in DC! Let them know America wants this done! More
Specifics
follow. Thank You for your help and time
Sincerely,
Denise Nichols
Gulf War Veteran Nurse
Specific Directions

Sign the petition
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/GulfWarillness/index.html
limit comments to appropriations (defense subcommittee) for Congressional
Direct Medical Research on gulf war illness and support for 30 million in
research funds for that in FY08.

The Defense Subcommittee on Defense appropriations (both House and Senate)
have just started this process for FY08.

When making the calls to each office ask for the staffer in charge of
Defense Appropriations!


TALKING POINTS

-The Congressional Direct Medical Research on Gulf War Illness within the
Defense Appropriations got FY06 5 million FY 07 ZERO

We want this in FY 08 at a level of 30 million

- 175,000 Gulf War veterans still suffer from chronic multisymptom illness
related to the 1991 war, according to the latest Department of Veterans
Affairs study

- There are no effective treatments.

- The VA Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses has
found that evidence supports a probable link between exposure to neurotoxins
and the
development of these illnesses.

- Treatments and diagnostic markers identified through the GWVRP would also
serve to protect the health of current and future military personnel and
civilians at risk of similar health effects.

---30% of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom are also
returning
with ill defined conditions/syndrome Source VA document

- A $5 million pilot research program open to all researchers and conducted
by DoD attracted 80 proposals to identify treatments and diagnostic tests in
2006, compared to two treatments studied in the previous fifteen years.

- While $5 million will support only a fraction of these studies, this
response demonstrates the interest of the scientific community in improving
the health of ill Gulf War veterans.

Action requested:

- As Congress appropriates needed billions for the care of those returning
from the current war, we urgently ask that it fund this treatment research
program for ill Gulf War veterans at the $30 million level traditionally
funded by DoD for Gulf War illness research before it was eliminated from
the budget in recent years.

-

- All major veterans organizations support $30 million funding for the Gulf
War Veterans Illnesses Research Program of the DoD Congressionally Directed
Medical Research Program.

Make the phone calls:

REMEMBER ASK FOR STAFFER DEALING WITH DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS

Concentrate on HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
this week here is the contacts for those members:

House Committee Appropriations Defense Subcommittee

John P. Murtha (PA), Chair
202-225-5916
202-226-1176(fax)

David Morrison, Subcommittee Clerk
Room H-149 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2847

Democrats
David R. Obey, Wisconsin, Chair (202) 225-3365

Republicans

Jerry Lewis, California, Ranking Member (202) 225-5861

Fax: (202) 225-6498

MAJORITY

Chair: John P. Murtha (PA
202-225-5916
202-226-1176(fax)


Norman D. Dicks (WA)
(202) 225-5916 [voice]
(202) 226-1176 [fax]

Peter J. Visclosky (IN)
phone: (202) 225-2461
fax: (202) 225-2493

James P. Moran (VA)
Phone: (202) 225-4376
Fax: (202) 225-0017

Marcy Kaptur (OH)
Tel: (202) 225-4146
Fax: (202) 225-7711

Robert E. Bud Cramer, Jr. (AL)
202-2254801
202-225-4392 Fax

Allen Boyd (FL)
(202) 225-5235
(202) 225-5615 Fax

Steven R. Rothman (NJ)
202-225-5061
202-225-5851 fax

Sanford Bishop (GA)
Phone- (202) 225-3631 Fax- (202) 225-2203


Dave Obey (WI), Ex Officio
202-225-3365

MINORITY Republicans

Ranking Member:
C.W. Bill Young (FL)
202-225-5961


David L. Hobson (OH)
202-225-4324
fax 202-225-1984

Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ)
202- 225-5034

Todd Tiahrt (KS)
202.225.6216
fax: 202.225.3489

Roger F. Wicker (MS)
202-225-4306
202-225-3549 fax


Jack Kingston (GA)
Phone: (202) 225-5831
Fax: (202) 226-2269
Email: Jack.Kingston@mail.house.gov

Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio
(202) 225-5861 Fax: (202) 225-6498