[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        EMERGENCY WARTIME SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2003

  Mr. SUNUNU. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the 
Senate receives from the House the conference report to accompany H.R. 
1559, the emergency war supplemental, and with the concurrence of the 
two leaders, the conference report be agreed to and the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, it is my understanding that even if this 
is agreed upon, even absent this consent agreement, no rollcall vote on 
passage of the conference report would have been requested and the 
report would have been agreed to by voice vote; is that true?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is the understanding of the Chair.
  Mr. SUNUNU. That is my understanding.
  Mr. REID. No objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


COLLOQUY BETWEEN SENATOR SMITH AND CHAIRMAN STEVENS ON ARMY PROCUREMENT 
              OF THE CHITOSAN HEMORRHAGE CONTROL DRESSING

  Mr. SMITH. Madam President, I would like to call my colleagues' 
attention to a revolutionary development in hemorrhage control which is 
expected to save lives of American soldiers now lost due to 
uncontrolled bleeding on the battlefield.
  According to military physicians, 90 percent of soldiers killed in 
war die before they reach a medical facility, most often of blood loss. 
Wounds to the extremities are considered the main preventable cause of 
death in military action.
  Using Army funds added by Congress over the past few years to spur 
medical technology to help our soldiers, researchers at the Oregon 
Medical Laser Center at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in 
Portland have developed a hemorrhage control dressing made principally 
of chitosan and vinegar. Chitosan is an inexpensive material found in 
the exoskeleton of shrimp.
  Last fall the FDA cleared the external use of this dressing. The 
approval was expedited at the request of the Commander of the Army's 
Medical Research and Materiel Command, who wrote to the FDA, and I 
quote:

       This dressing will significantly improve the ability of 
     medics to control hemorrhage from extremity wounds. As a 
     result of independent efficacy studies done at the United 
     States Army Institute of Surgical Research, we feel that the 
     Hemcon chitosan bandage is critical in our efforts to the 
     control of severe external hemorrhage in the combat 
     environment.

  Subsequent to FDA clearance, this bandage was incorporated into 
military medical doctrine. According to the newest draft tactical 
combat care doctrine, ``. . . every combatant should carry both a 
tourniquet and a hemostatic dressing as part of his personal gear 
loadout, and should be trained in their use.''
  The dressing is now being manufactured by an Oregon company, HemCon, 
under contract to the Army. I believe the Army should make a major 
commitment of funds to speed these bandages to our troops. I inquire of 
the Chairman if there is sufficient flexibility in this bill for the 
Army to purchase this dressing.
  Mr. STEVENS. I thank my colleague for his inquiry and would respond 
that we have provided billions of dollars to the Army, with knowledge 
that there are uncertainties remaining in our action in Iraq. Certainly 
I would encourage the Army to place purchase of these bandages among 
their highest priorities, given the indications I have seen of the 
lives to be saved.
  Mr. SMITH. I thank my distinguished colleague, who continually shows 
his dedication to the men and women of our armed forces. Equipping each 
of our soldiers in Iraq with this bandage would be a very positive step 
we can take to save lives. Even if, as we all hope, the main military 
thrust of our forces in Iraq is successfully concluded in the near 
future, it is likely that threats from isolated but armed Iraqi 
paramilitary forces will remain in the months ahead. I would encourage 
the Army to procure these bandages as quickly as possible to meet the 
military's own goal of providing one to each soldier.

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