[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 98 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1600-E1601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 2647) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2010, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chair, I would like to take this opportunity to 
thank Chairman Skelton and his Committee for the important work they 
have done on this legislation and the strides they have made to ensure 
that individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are identified and 
afforded the benefits that they deserve.
  TBI is the signature injury of our current conflicts overseas. As 
many as 20 percent of the 1.8 million deployed troops--or an estimated 
360,000 soldiers--have sustained traumatic brain injuries while in Iraq 
and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, many of these men and women in uniform 
are falling through the cracks. We must ensure that these individuals 
are properly identified and provided with the world class health care 
that they deserve. H.R. 2647 takes important steps to achieving both of 
these goals.
  First, I applaud the inclusion of language submitted by myself and 
Congressman Todd Platts, who is both a member of the Armed Services 
Committee and serves as my Co-Chair on the Congressional Brain Injury 
Task Force, that calls on the branches of the Armed Services to 
implement long-term tracking for

[[Page E1601]]

blast exposures, as the Army National Guard (NG) has already done. The 
NG initiative records the exposure to blasts in troops' personnel 
records in order to document the incident in the event of problems 
associated with traumatic brain injury or exposure to contaminants. 
This database will help determine eligibility for appropriate 
treatment, care, and disability entitlements. A comprehensive blast 
tracking system will also assist in efforts to research blast injuries 
and mild TBI and improve outreach, education, and follow-up for injured 
personnel who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
  Second, I am appreciative of the inclusion of language that I 
submitted regarding the awarding of the Purple Heart to individuals who 
have sustained traumatic brain injuries, which calls on the Secretary 
to review its policies and procedures for determining eligibility and 
awarding of the Purple Heart as it relates to TBI. Media reports and 
anecdotal evidence have suggested that Purple Hearts may have been 
awarded inconsistently to service personnel who have sustained combat-
related TBIs, suggesting that individuals with more severe TBIs may be 
eligible for the distinguished Purple Heart while individuals with less 
severe ones often receive refusals.
  We believe that the Purple Heart criteria set out in regulation 
encompass soldiers who sustain a TBI or concussion as the result of 
enemy action. The Department of Defense's own Legislative Affairs has, 
however, stated that a brain injury that requires minimal medical 
attention would not suffice. I would caution against the use of such 
absolutes in the face of uncertainty about the effects of blast-related 
TBIs. Because the field of science still knows relatively little about 
effective interventions and the long-term consequences of traumatic 
brain injuries, particularly mild ones and those caused by blasts, the 
Department of Defenses' interpretation of treatment should not preclude 
injured soldiers who fulfill all other Purple Heart criteria from 
receiving the recognition and benefits they deserve.
  Third, I am pleased to see the inclusion of legislation introduced by 
Congressman Walter Jones, of which I am an original co-sponsor. This 
important language permits separated service members to seek a review 
of their discharge if their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or 
TBI was not taken into consideration when determining their separation 
and mandates a physical exam for active duty service members before an 
administrative separation proceeding if the service member had been 
diagnosed with PTSD or TBI. The effects and prevalence of PTSD and TBI 
have become too harsh and too widespread for our military leaders to 
overlook, and ensuring that the full facts of soldiers' injuries are 
considered upon discharge is the least we can do to ensure these 
individuals receive the care and benefits they deserve.
  Finally, I praise the Committee for its recognition of the need for 
civilian and military collaboration in the science of the brain by 
providing for a Visiting NIH Senior Neuroscience Fellowship Program. 
This will provide an important opportunity for the military to learn 
from the work occurring at the National Institutes of Health on 
neuroscience and vice versa.
  Thank you again to Chairman Skelton, and I look forward to continuing 
to work with the Committee as we make further improvements to the care 
and benefits that we provide to the brave men and women that put their 
lives on the line for our freedom.

                          ____________________