[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 112 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1735-E1736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE ANTHRAX ISSUE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

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                          HON. WALTER B. JONES

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 3, 1999

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, a number of 
my colleagues joined me in a press conference to discuss an issue that 
I believe may jeopardize the readiness of our military--the Department 
of Defense Anthrax Vaccination Immunization Program.
  Mr. Gilman, Mr. Burton, Mr. Filner, Mr. Metcalf, and Mr. Hayes all 
joined me to express our shared concerns over the mandatory anthrax 
vaccination program.
  I wanted to take a few moments to share some of my thoughts on the 
press conference and the anthrax issue as a whole.
  In March of this year, I met with a number of reservists from Seymour 
Johnson Air Force Base in the Third District of North Carolina, which I 
am proud to represent, to hear their concerns about the mandatory 
anthrax vaccination program.
  After listening to their concerns, I contacted Secretary Cohen and 
requested the program be halted until the questions surrounding the 
program could be answered.
  The Department denied my request. It also failed to address my 
concerns.
  Mr. Speaker, all branches of the military are currently experiencing 
great difficulty in recruiting and retaining quality military 
personnel.
  Since the announcement of the mandatory vaccination program in 1997, 
growing numbers of military personnel--particularly Guard and 
Reservists--are choosing to resign rather than take what may be an 
unsafe anthrax vaccine.
  Now, military personnel across the country are struggling with their 
options: take the vaccine or leave the service.
  Unfortunately, too many are choosing the latter.
  At Travis Air Force Base alone, 32 pilots in the 301st Airlift 
Squadron have resigned or are planning to do so because of the anthrax 
vaccine.
  That is more than a fifty percent attrition rate.
  The Air Force estimates it costs $6 million to train each pilot.
  If this figure holds true, the United States is losing over $190 
million dollars worth of training and over 450 years worth of combined 
experience in the cockpit!
  These statistics are not isolated to one unit or one base.
  A recent Baltimore Sun article reported that as many as 25 F-16 
pilots of 35 pilots in the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana National 
Guard might refuse the vaccination. This could effectively ground the 
squadron.
  At least one-third of the F-16 pilots in the Wisconsin National 
Guard's 115th Fighter Wing is expected to refuse the vaccinations.
  Another Air National Guard unit in Connecticut reportedly lost one-
third of their pilots for the same reason.
  The active duty force is also plagued by this problem.
  Fourteen Marines in Hawaii and at least a dozen in California have 
refused the vaccine and are awaiting likely court-martials and 
dishonorable discharges.
  Other reports indicate that even the Department of Defense estimates 
several hundred active personnel have refused the vaccine and are 
awaiting disciplinary action.
  In a time when all branches of our military are faced with severe 
challenges in recruiting and retaining quality military personnel, we 
should be looking for ways to recruit and retain these men and women, 
not drive them away.
  For this reason, Mr. Gilman and I each introduced separate pieces of 
legislation to address the problem.
  My legislation, H.R. 2543, the American Military Health Protection 
Act, would make the current Department of Defense Anthrax Vaccination 
Immunization Program voluntary for all members of the Uniformed 
Services until either: (1) The Food and Drug Administration has 
approved a new anthrax vaccination for humans; or (2) the Food and Drug 
Administration has approved a new, reduced shot course for the anthrax 
vaccination for humans.
  Mr. Gilman's legislation, H.R. 2548, stops the vaccination program 
until the National Institutes of Health has completed additional 
studies.
  However, today's press conference was not about pushing a single 
bill. Instead, we were there today because despite our respective 
differences, there is solidarity in our goals.
  Each of the men and women at the press conference represented 
differing views on how to best deal with the anthrax vaccination 
program.
  Yet, we all agreed on one point: The mandatory anthrax program must 
be changed!

[[Page E1736]]

  For that reason, today Mr. Gilman and I were able to announce our 
joint efforts to secure a hearing in the Armed Services Committee on 
our respective legislative proposals.
  If our American men and women are willing to risk their lives to 
defend this great nation, the least we can do is ensure their questions 
of safety have been adequately answered before requiring them to take 
it.
  It is important to respond to this issue before a small readiness 
problem affects the entire force.
  I am hopeful that all of our colleagues will join us in working to 
achieve that goal.

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