[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 10, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SUPPORTING OUR MEN AND WOMEN SERVING IN THE MILITARY AND URGING 
  CONGRESS TO CONTINUE FUNDING FOR THE AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS 
         RESEARCH PROGRAM (ALSRP) AT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

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                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 10, 2008

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express 
my support for our men and women serving in the military and to urge 
Congress to continue funding for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis 
Research Program (ALSRP) at the Department of Defense.
  Studies conducted by the DOD and Veterans Administration have found 
that those who served in the 1991 Gulf War are approximately twice as 
likely to die from ALS, the deadly disease that took the life of 
baseball legend Lou Gehrig, as those who did not serve in the Gulf. In 
addition, current research suggests that ALS is occurring at greater 
rates in those who are serving in the current conflict in Iraq. 
Tragically, there is no effective treatment for ALS and it is fatal in 
just two to five years after diagnosis.
  The ALSRP is an innovative program that has the potential not only to 
develop new treatments for ALS that benefit our soldiers and veterans 
but also to determine why they are at greater risk and enable us to 
take action to protect them. I therefore urge the Appropriations 
Committee to include $5 million for the ALSRP in the FY 2009 DOD 
Appropriations bill.

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