[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 83 (Monday, June 27, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONIES FOR NEW WALTER REED ARMY INSTITUTE OF 
                       RESEARCH, FOREST GLEN, MD

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, on Friday, June 24, I participated in 
ground-breaking ceremonies for the new Walter Reed Army Institute of 
Research at Forest Glen, MD. This facility will provide laboratories 
and associated equipment for military medical scientists and 
researchers who are working on the critical infectious diseases of our 
time.
  This facility is being erected because of the dedicated efforts and 
good work of Maryland's two very effective Senators--Senator Barbara 
Mikulski and Senator Paul Sarbanes. Indeed, my good friend and 
colleague, the senior Senator from Maryland, was one of the speakers at 
the event. I was quite impressed by Senator Sarbanes' remarks and wish 
to make them a part of the Congressional Record for today.
  There being no objection, the remarks were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                  Remarks of Senator Paul S. Sarbanes

       I am delighted to join in this ceremony marking the ground 
     breaking for the new Walter Reed Army Institute of Research 
     and dedication of WRAIR's new Vaccine Pilot Plant.
       Today is indeed a very special or ``rare'' occasion and one 
     which many of us have awaited with considerable anticipation.
       At the very outset, I want to pay tribute to Senator Daniel 
     Inouye and Congressman Jack Murtha, who have been 
     longstanding proponents of WRAIR and the research conducted 
     at the Institute. As Chairs of the Defense Appropriations 
     Subcommittees in the Senate and House, their support and 
     assistance with funding for WRAIR has been instrumental in 
     bringing the modernization of WRAIR's facilities to fruition.
       Senator Inouye has also been a leader in efforts to stave 
     off attempts to close another outstanding institution in 
     Montgomery County--the Uniformed Services University of 
     Health Sciences--known as USUHS--and I have had the great 
     pleasure of working with him in these efforts. We in Maryland 
     are grateful to both Senator Inouye and Congressman Murtha 
     for your help.
       Today's ceremonies mark not only an important milestone in 
     the effort to modernize WRAIR's facilities, but also in a 
     larger sense, in the Institute's long and distinguished 
     history. As you know, we are celebrating today the 101st 
     anniversary of WRAIR. WRAIR was established on June 24, 1893 
     as the Army Medical School, the first such school of 
     preventive medicine in the United States. Over the past 
     century, WRAIR has compiled an impressive record of success 
     and has earned a world-wide reputation for its contributions 
     to tropical medicine, military psychiatry, and drug and 
     vaccine development, to name only few.
       In addition to Walter Reed's world famous research on 
     yellow fever, WRAIR scientists developed the first mechanical 
     liquid chlorine water purifier now in world-wide use; were 
     the first to isolate Asian flu and measles viruses; developed 
     the first large scale HIV screening program and successful 
     HIV vaccine test; developed the first drugs and vaccines used 
     against meningitis, typhoid fever, cholera, and malaria, and 
     other diseases.
       I think it is important to point out that the research 
     conducted at WRAIR has not only benefited American soldiers, 
     but people throughout our country and the world. It is not 
     only in the forefront of efforts to address major 
     international health crises such as AIDS, but has helped 
     fight infectious diseases which have been the scourge of the 
     third world.
       Unfortunately, WRAIR's laboratories and other facilities 
     have not kept pace with the outstanding research conducted 
     here. Many of WRAIR's facilities are over 70 years old and 
     completely inadequate for WRAIR's scientists and physicians 
     to continue producing their extraordinary work. Today we are 
     taking a significant step forward in addressing this 
     situation. By breaking ground for the new WRAIR laboratory 
     and dedicating the Pilot Vaccine Facility, we are laying the 
     foundation for the military's medical research program for 
     the 21st Century. When completed, this new $147 million 
     state-of-the-art research and development laboratory will 
     provide WRAIR with the facilities and tools it needs to 
     fulfill its important mission for years to come.
       In addition to maintaining high standards of excellence for 
     the military's biomedical research activities, the new WRAIR 
     lab and Pilot Vaccine facility will play a major role in the 
     high-tech future of Montgomery County and Maryland. WRAIR has 
     among the highest number of Cooperative Research and 
     Development Agreements or CRADAs with private industry of any 
     federal institution including four right here in Montgomery 
     County and has been a major catalyst for the burgeoning 
     biotechnology and vaccine industry in Maryland. With the 
     completion of the new WRAIR lab and the opening of the Pilot 
     Vaccine Facility, we anticipate even more activity in this 
     area. The new WRAIR and Pilot Plan will also provide a major 
     boost to the local economy and the actions underway to 
     revitalize the downtown Silver Spring area.
       Senator Inouye, Senator Mikulski, Congressman Murtha, 
     Congresswoman Morella, Congressman Wynn and I worked very 
     hard to secure the authorization, funding and approvals 
     necessary to move this project forward. It wasn't easy, 
     despite the clear need for the new facility. I personally 
     took this issue to two Secretaries of Defense, the Deputy 
     Secretary, the Secretary of the Army, the White House and 
     numerous other officials, Congressional Committees and the 
     floor of the Senate. But today we have reached a critical 
     milestone in the effort to preserve WRAIR's status as the 
     military's preeminent center for biomedical research and 
     medical readiness.
       I want to close by commending the Secretary of the Army, 
     Togo West, who, early on, recognized the need for this new 
     facility and played a key role in moving its approval through 
     the Pentagon; Col. Salvado, the director of WRAIR; Marv 
     Rogul, WRAIR's Associate Director for Research, Marketing and 
     Policy Development; the scientific, technical and support 
     staff at WRAIR; and the many, many others who have worked to 
     protect and foster the scientific mission of WRAIR and make 
     the institute truly a national treasure.
       I also want to thank Montgomery County Executive Neal 
     Potter and the Members of the Montgomery County Council; 
     Jorge Ribas, Sally Sternback, Bruce Lee, Dick Kauffunger, 
     Nancy Schneider and all the other members of the Greater 
     Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce, the Montgomery County 
     Civil Federation, and the Committee for Montgomery. The 
     strong support of the local community for this project was 
     critical.
       We take great pride in the accomplishments of WRAIR, in the 
     people who work at WRAIR, and in having this outstanding 
     facility located here in Maryland. I am confident that, with 
     this new facility, WRAIR will continue to be on the frontier 
     of medical research necessary to protect the health of our 
     American soldiers and the American people alike.

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, today I had the great privilege of 
joining with my distinguished colleague from Hawaii, Senator Inouye, in 
a ceremony in Forest Glen, MD, marking the ground breaking for the new 
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research laboratory on the occasion of 
the institute's 101st anniversary.
  Throughout his career in the Congress, Senator Inouye has worked 
tirelessly to ensure that our military medical research and health care 
for American soldiers are second to none in the world. He has been a 
stalwart supporter of WRAIR and the Uniformed Services University of 
the Health Sciences and has been instrumental in protecting and 
enhancing these important institutions.
  I commend to my colleagues his insightful remarks on this occasion 
and ask unanimous consent that the full text of his speech be included 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the remarks were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                  Remarks of Senator Daniel K. Inouye

       Thank you for your warm introduction.
       I am very pleased to be able to join you today and to 
     participate in this most happy occasion. One of the things 
     that I love about my work as a United States Senator is the 
     opportunity to work with good, hardworking, and dedicated 
     people who serve, not just their own interests, but also the 
     good of the community.
       This building is a milestone in such an effort. It marks a 
     point along the path of human progress; a point from which we 
     can measure our renewed commitment to medical research in the 
     military and from which we can measure both how far we have 
     come and how far we must go in the future. It is also a 
     signpost indicating the commitment that our Government and 
     military are making to ensure that military medical research 
     is unparalleled in dedication and in achievement. The United 
     States Army, the Congress, and now the executive branch--all 
     have worked together on this. Today, we break ground on a 
     common endeavor which I believe will bring uncommon success.
       In 1991, during a public witness hearing before the 
     subcommittee which I am privileged to chair, one witness, Dr. 
     Robert Shope, spoke about the condition of the WRAIR 
     facilities located at and near Walter Reed Army Medical 
     Center. He stated that the facilities did not meet minimum 
     occupational safety and health standards, nor did they meet 
     environmental quality or laboratory animal care standards.
       Frankly, it was difficult for me to believe then that our 
     Government would allow a premier research facility to become 
     so decrepit and run down. But, Dr. Shope spoke with such 
     conviction and such sincerity that I told him, ``We were not 
     aware the Walter Reed research facility was in such bad 
     shape. We will look into that immediately. If it turns out 
     that is really bad, we will make this an emergency matter.''
       Well, ``Really bad'' is an understatement of classic 
     proportions. Things were terrible. Some of the most 
     sophisticated medical research in this country was being done 
     in a facility that should probably have been torn down; top 
     scientists were working in labs not much bigger than large 
     closets--some so small it was difficult for two people to 
     move around in the labs at the same time. I was shocked to 
     learn that wild animals--raccoons--had fouled labs and 
     destroyed research files. The conditions were appalling and, 
     unfortunately, in many places, they remain so. But, today, we 
     begin anew.
       It pleases me that, after listening to you and learning of 
     your plans, I was able to convince my colleagues of the merit 
     of the restoring WRAIR to its rightful position as the 
     premier medical research laboratory in the Department of 
     Defense. The construction of a new facility here--starting 
     now--will open the way for consolidation and continued 
     improvement of the facilities the WRAIR scientists and 
     medical researchers need to conduct their very important 
     work.
       We were able to secure funding for WRAIR because of the 
     support and assistance of those who are sharing this 
     platform, and, of course, many others.
       Who knows, when I look at the power of the House of 
     Representatives on this platform, it occurs to me that it 
     just might be possible for us to find additional funding for 
     WRAIR and Army research activities in next year's bill. I 
     think it is safe for me to say that, for as long as I am 
     chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Defense 
     Appropriations, the Army and WRAIR will get a generous share 
     of Federal Government support for programs and projects which 
     serve our national medical research objectives.
       I am pleased to have had an opportunity to work with many 
     of you who are gathered here on this project. I am 
     particularly pleased that my colleagues had faith in the 
     future of WRAIR and faith in the commitment and ability of 
     the people who study and work here. We will not forget the 
     contribution your efforts have made to the betterment of 
     mankind.
       To me, this is how things should be: people of good will 
     coming together to create, to build, to grow. I thank all of 
     you for giving me the opportunity to join with you.
       Mahalo and aloha.

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