[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 23, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4469-H4473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NO HERO LEFT UNTREATED ACT

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1162) to direct the Secretary

[[Page H4470]]

of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide access to 
magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy to veterans.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1162

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``No Hero Left Untreated 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy has 
     successfully treated more than 400 veterans with post-
     traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military 
     sexual trauma, chronic pain, and opiate addiction.
       (2) Recent clinical trials and randomized, placebo-
     controlled, double-blind studies have produced promising 
     measurable outcomes in the evolution of magnetic EEG/EKG-
     guided resonance therapy.
       (3) The outcomes described in paragraph (2) have resulted 
     in escalating demand from returning members of the Armed 
     Forces and veterans who are seeking access to magnetic EEG/
     EKG-guided resonance therapy.
       (4) Congress recognizes the importance of initiating 
     innovative pilot programs that demonstrate the use and 
     effectiveness of new treatment options for post-traumatic 
     stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual 
     trauma, chronic pain, and opiate addiction.

     SEC. 3. MAGNETIC EEG/EKG-GUIDED RESONANCE THERAPY PILOT 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) Pilot Program.--Commencing not later than 90 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to provide 
     access to magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy to treat 
     veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, 
     traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, chronic pain, 
     or opiate addiction.
       (b) Locations.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
     program under subsection (a) at not more than two facilities 
     of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (c) Participants.--In carrying out the pilot program under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide access to 
     magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy to not more than 50 
     veterans.
       (d) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
     program under subsection (a) for a one-year period.
       (e) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the termination 
     of the pilot program under subsection (d), the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the pilot program.
       (f) No Authorization of Appropriations.--No additional 
     amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the 
     requirements of this section. Such requirements shall be 
     carried out using amounts authorized under provisions of law 
     other than this section.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1162, a bill to expand 
the use of EEG/EKG-guided magnetic resonance therapy to treat veterans 
with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, chronic 
pain, and opiate addiction at VA medical centers.
  A 2016 VA report found that mental health conditions and substance 
abuse among veterans is alarmingly high and steadily on the rise, up 
from 27 percent in 2001 to over 40 percent in 2014. Perhaps even more 
alarming, the same report showed that VA has increased its use of 
prescription opioids by 259 percent over the same period to treat these 
invisible wounds.
  Magnetic resonance therapy, or MRT, is an emerging technology that 
has been used to treat over 400 veterans with symptoms of their mental 
conditions. MRT uses quantitative electroencephalogram, 
electrocardiogram technology to target the affected areas of the brain 
and apply repetitive magnetic stimulation to return normal function to 
those areas.
  MRT has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat 
depression, and a 2015 study found that veterans who underwent 2 weeks 
of treatment for PTSD reported an average of 47.4 percent reduction in 
symptom severity. After 4 weeks of treatment, veteran participants saw 
a 64 percent reduction in symptom severity on average. The same study 
showed zero reports of worsening symptoms or adverse effects from the 
treatment.
  H.R. 1162 would create a 1-year pilot at two VA facilities during 
which 50 veterans would be provided MRT treatment for PTSD, traumatic 
brain injury, military sexual trauma, chronic pain, and opioid 
addiction.

                              {time}  1530

  Ninety days after the end of the pilot, the Secretary of the VA would 
issue a report to Congress on the efficacy of the pilot.
  Mr. Speaker, with such promising results from preliminary tests of 
MRT technology, I believe that we must act quickly to make this 
emerging technology available to more veterans suffering from the 
invisible wounds of war.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight), my 
good friend and fellow Army veteran, for sponsoring this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting 
H.R. 1162, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1162. With all of the things 
that you heard the chairman talk about and substance abuse disorder on 
the rise, the VA should continue to explore the benefits of alternative 
treatments and how best to provide care to our veterans.
  Medical providers must think outside of the box and find effective 
ways to treat the symptoms a veteran is experiencing, and do so in a 
way that does not compromise a veteran's health, relationships, and 
progress towards a successful transition home.
  Mr. Speaker, for this reason, I would ask my colleagues to support 
this important piece of legislation and start moving in a direction 
that serves our veterans with the best treatment for them.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Knight), the sponsor of this bill.
  Mr. KNIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member 
for their leadership on all veteran issues.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1162, the No Hero Left 
Untreated Act. I rise today to stand with our Nation's veterans for 
whom the trauma from the battlefield does not always appear. Whether it 
is PTS, TBI, MST, chronic pain, or opioid drugs addiction, the pilot 
program established by this bill would provide an innovative 
individualized treatment for all-too-common diagnoses that our veterans 
face today.
  Using a suite of FDA-approved medical tools, the magnetic EEG/EKG-
guided resonance therapy, or MeRT, is a nonpharmaceutical and 
noninvasive procedure that has already shown great promise. This bill 
requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the pilot 
program, treat 50 veterans using MeRT at two different VA locations, 
and then come back with a report at the end of that.
  Already at the Brain Treatment Center in California, 98 percent of 
veterans in recent trials have experienced at least a 10-point change 
in their military PTSD checklist, or PCL-M, which ranges from 17 to 80.
  The Active-Duty military has already begun clinical trials using the 
MeRT procedure at Tinker Air Force Base, concluding that ``transcranial 
MeRT is a promising adjuvant treatment modality to help veterans 
suffering from PTSD.'' In fact, after 4 weeks of active treatment, MeRT 
reduced the average PCL-M score from 66 to 37.
  U.S. Special Operations Command has also funded their own trials 
using the Brain Treatment Center's treatment modality and is conducting 
research at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and Naval Special Warfare 
Command in my home State of California.

[[Page H4471]]

  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for H.R. 1162 
from AMVETS, the Veterans Health Council, the Association of the United 
States Navy, Veterans Advantage, The Patriot Project, Lines for Life, 
the National Foundation for Women Legislators, the PsychArmor 
Institute, STEADFAST Leadership, and the WestCare Foundation.

                                                       AMVETS,

                                        Lanham, MD, April 5, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Knight: AMVETS (American Veterans) is 
     pleased to support your bill, H.R. 1162, the No Hero Left 
     Untreated Act, which seeks to establish a pilot program for 
     two Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers to 
     treat fifty veterans using magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance 
     therapy.
       Magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy has successfully 
     treated more than 400 veterans with post-traumatic stress 
     disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, 
     chronic pain, and opiate addiction. This small pilot would be 
     instructive to VA in understanding the benefits and deciding 
     whether to offer this promising therapy to those receiving VA 
     health care.
       If it were fully understood how to treat these nuanced 
     disorders and health issues, VA would already be doing so--
     and suffice it to say--the veteran suicide rate would most 
     assuredly be lower than it is now. It is imperative that we, 
     as a nation, look at new ways to help those who have stood up 
     and walked the walk, and suffer the consequences day after 
     day.
       AMVETS is in full support of this measure and appreciates 
     your leadership in introducing this important legislation and 
     in striving to improve the lives of all veterans.
           Sincerely,
                                               Joseph R. Chenelly,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                      Veterans Health Council,

                             Silver Spring, MD, February 21, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Knight: I am writing in support of the 
     H.R. No Heroes Left Untreated Act. This important piece of 
     legislation will bring to America's Veterans a significant 
     contribution toward health solutions for Post-Traumatic 
     Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), 
     Military Sexual Trauma (MST), chronic pain and opiate drug 
     addiction through MeRT (Magnetic EEG/EKG-guided Resonance 
     Therapy).
       As of early 2015, the effects of collective failure to 
     adequately address the emotional and physical effects of 
     combat; particularly Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), mild 
     Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBI), and PTSD have left the 
     Veteran community paying a disproportionate toll for their 
     service to the Nation. Current treatment modalities clearly 
     have limited utility. The urgency of understanding and 
     responding to this national issue becomes more obvious, when 
     one sees the growing scope, impact and prevalence of PTSD, 
     both in Veteran suicides and in related societal indicators. 
     While some may view this as a societal cost that cannot be 
     averted, that is not the view of the doctors at the Newport 
     Brain Research Lab/Brain Treatment Center (NBRL/BTC). MeRT 
     brings a novel neuromodulation approach achieving 
     unprecedented success rates in both open-label trial and 
     randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies. To 
     date, over 98% of Veteran PTSD/TBI patients have responded 
     positively averaging a 61% reduction in symptom severity as 
     measured by the PCL-M (PTSD Check List--Military) and 
     demonstrated by measurable EEG/EKG changes.
       We applaud your continued interest in exploring effective, 
     science-based and proven medical technologies to help our 
     Veterans. Like you, we believe it is our obligation and duty 
     to ensure Veterans receive the treatment they need to have 
     their lives and livelihoods restored.
           Sincerely,
                                          Thomas J. Berger, Ph.D.,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                                Association of the


                                           United States Navy,

                                   Alexandria, VA, March 21, 2017.
     Hon. Stephen Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       On behalf of the Association of the United States Navy, we 
     would like to pledge our support for H.R. 1162, the No Hero 
     Left Untreated Act. This bill directs the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide 
     access to magnetic EEG/EKG guided resonance therapy to 
     veterans.
       Magnetic EEG/EKG guided resonance therapy has successfully 
     treated more than 400 veterans with post-traumatic stress 
     disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, 
     chronic pain, and opiate addiction. Recent clinical trials 
     and randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind studies have 
     produced promising measurable outcomes in the evolution of 
     this type of therapy.
       The pilot program, as laid out in the bill, will allow the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide access to magnetic 
     EEG/EKG guided resonance therapy to treat suffering veterans. 
     The program will be located at no more than two facilities 
     and test no more than fifty veterans. The program will be 
     carried out for one year, and no more than 90 days after the 
     termination of the program, the Secretary will submit to the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House a 
     report on the pilot program.
       Thank you for taking an active role in such an important 
     issue to the Military and Veteran community by working to 
     improve the lives and careers of those who served our great 
     nation. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or 
     concern.
           Sincerely,
                                                Michael J. Little,
     Director of Legislative Affairs.
                                  ____



                                           Veterans Advantage,

                                 Greenwich, CT, February 17, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Knight: On behalf of Veterans Advantage, 
     PBC, the leading private-sector benefit company that 
     advocates for greater respect, recognition and rewards for 
     U.S. military, veterans and their family members, I am 
     writing in support of the No Hero Left Untreated Act, HR1162.
       I am a Vietnam Veteran who has first-hand experience with 
     the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post 
     Traumatic Stress (PTS). My son, who has sustained multiple 
     concussions and suffers from PTS, has undergone treatment at 
     the Brain Treatment Center (BTC) over the last year and 
     continues to do so. As a result of this treatment, we have 
     seen significant progress in addressing the symptoms 
     associated with his condition, in particular his depression 
     and anxiety have lessened. No other therapies have any effect 
     on his condition. He has made steady progress and is now on 
     the road to restoring his health.
       The current state of treatment for TBI, mild Traumatic 
     Brain Injury (mTBI), and PTS, is woefully inadequate. While 
     hundreds of thousands of servicemembers suffer from these 
     conditions when they return from war zones and multiple tours 
     while serving our nation, there is a systemic failure to 
     address the emotional and physical effects of combat. This is 
     a national crisis and one we must address immediately.
       The legislation you are advocating is a significant step to 
     provide the treatment our servicemen and women so desperately 
     need and deserve. I have reviewed the double blind studies 
     with Dr. Jin and the staff of the BTC. The use of Magnetic 
     EEG/EKG-guided Resonance Therapy (MeRT, a non-invasive 
     treatment) under the direction of the BTC has achieved 
     unprecedented success rates in in both open-label trials and 
     randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies. To 
     date, over 98% of veteran PTSD/TBI patients have responded 
     positively to this treatment option--averaging a 61% 
     reduction in symptom severity as measured by the PTSD Check 
     List--Military (PCL-M) and demonstrated by measurable EEG/EKG 
     changes.
       Thank you for your initiative in sponsoring this important 
     legislation and your support of America's heroes through the 
     No Hero Left Behind Act.
           Respectfully yours,

                                             H. Scott Higgins,

                                              Vietnam War Veteran,
     CEO/Veterans Advantage, PBC.
                                  ____



                                          The Patriot Project,

                                                    March 2, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Knight: On behalf of the Patriot Project, 
     a grassroots movement to provide Military Service Members, 
     Families, Gold Star Dependents and Wounded Warriors with 
     vital Chiropractic care to which they have little access, 
     despite its inclusion in Veteran benefits; I am writing in 
     support of H.R. 1162, the No Hero Left Untreated Act. This 
     important piece of legislation offers America's Veterans a 
     timely non-drug health solution for Post-Traumatic Stress 
     Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military 
     Sexual Trauma (MST), chronic pain, and opiate drug addiction 
     through Magnetic EEG/EKG-guided Resonance Therapy technology 
     (MeRT technology).
       Consisting of over 5000 Chiropractors, nationwide, the 
     Patriot Project has witnessed the invisible and visible life-
     altering injuries of war these Veterans suffer, with little 
     access to solutions except for drugs, and surgeries. The 
     Patriot Project Board, made up of more than half a dozen 
     Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients, has taken on the 
     challenge of restoring hope to our returning warriors by 
     pursuing non-drug interventions with vigor.
       As tens of thousands of Veterans return home each year, 
     they encounter a systemic failure to adequately address the 
     emotional and physical effects of combat. Current treatments 
     for PTSD, TBI and even mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBI) 
     have limited utility to sufficiently heal our Veterans. The 
     urgency of understanding and responding to this national 
     crisis becomes even more compelling when one sees the growing 
     scope, impact and prevalence of PTSD particularly in Veteran 
     suicide rates. The doctors at the Newport Brain Research Lab/
     Brain Treatment Center (NBRL/BTC), believe it is their 
     obligation and duty to ensure Veterans receive the treatment 
     they need to have their lives and livelihoods restored.
       H.R. 1162 is a significant step forward in providing 
     Veterans with the treatment they

[[Page H4472]]

     desperately need and clearly deserve. MeRT technology brings 
     a novel neuromodulation approach, achieving unprecedented 
     success rates in both open-label trials and randomized, 
     placebo-controlled, double-blind studies with over 98% of 
     Veteran PTSD/TBI patients responding positively to this 
     treatment option. Without investment in such innovative 
     treatment, our nation's Veterans will continue to pay a 
     disproportionate toll for their service.
       We applaud Congressman Knight and his attentive staff for 
     their commitment to explore effective, science-based, and 
     proven medical technologies and their unwavering support to 
     helping America's heroes.
           Sincerely,

                                        Dr. Carol Ann Malizia,

                               CAM Integrative Consulting, Patriot
     Project Board Member.
                                  ____



                                               Lines for Life,

                                                    March 9, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Knight: Thank you for your ongoing efforts 
     to support our veterans, particularly through HR 1162, the No 
     Hero Left Untreated Act. Lines for Life supports this 
     important piece of legislation that will expand promising 
     neurological treatment for veterans coping with post-
     traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury 
     (TBI), military sexual trauma, chronic pain, and opiate 
     addiction.
       Lines for Life operates a regional Military Helpline that 
     offers free, anonymous help to active-duty service members, 
     veterans, and their families. We also serve as the sole 
     backup center for the Department of Veterans Affairs' 
     Veterans Crisis Line. In 2016, we received over 31,500 
     military-related calls from individuals who are struggling to 
     cope with mental health issues including anger, substance 
     abuse, post-traumatic stress, and thoughts of suicide.
       Veterans comprise 9% of the United States population, but 
     account for 18% of suicides. Our nation's inadequate 
     attention to the emotional and physical effects of combat, 
     particularly TBI and PTSD, have left our veteran community 
     paying a disproportionate toll for their service. Treatment 
     methods to date have had limited utility. We must respond to 
     the growing scope, impact, and prevalence of PTSD by 
     enhancing our understanding and response to this critical 
     issue.
       We applaud your continued interest in exploring effective, 
     science-based, and proven medical technologies to help our 
     veterans. We believe it is our obligation and duty to ensure 
     veterans receive the treatment they need to have their lives 
     and livelihoods restored.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Dwight Holton,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                           National Foundation for


                                            Women Legislators,

                                                    March 6, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC
       Dear Congressman Knight: We are writing in support of HR 
     1162 the No Hero Left Untreated Act, for which your efforts 
     should be highly commended on behalf of Veterans. This 
     important piece of legislation will bring America's Veterans 
     a significant contribution to their health solutions for 
     Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury 
     (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), chronic pain and opiate 
     drug addiction through MeRT (Magnetic EEG/EKG-guided 
     Resonance Therapy).
       As of early 2015, the effects of our nation's collective 
     failure to adequately address the emotional and physical 
     effects of combat, particularly Traumatic Brain Injuries 
     (TBI), mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBI), and PTSD have 
     left our Veteran community paying a disproportionate toll for 
     their service to the Nation. Treatment modalities to date, 
     clearly, have had limited utility. The urgency of 
     understanding and responding to this national issue becomes 
     more obvious when one sees the growing scope, impact, and 
     prevalence of PTSD, evident both in Veteran suicides and 
     related societal indicators. While some may view this as a 
     societal cost that cannot be averted, that is not our view.
       We applaud your continued interest in exploring effective, 
     science-based and proven medical technologies to help our 
     Veterans. Like you, we believe it is our obligation and duty 
     to ensure Veterans receive the treatment they need to have 
     their lives and livelihoods restored.
           Sincerely,
     Minnesota State Senator Carrie Ruud,
       2017 NFWL Chair, On behalf of the Board of Directors of the 
     National Foundation for Women Legislators.
                                  ____



                                         Psycharmor Institute,

                                                    March 8, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Knight: I am writing in support of HR 1162 
     the No Hero Left Untreated Act, for which your efforts should 
     be highly commended on behalf of Veterans. This important 
     piece of legislation will allow for a neurological treatment 
     option for Veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress 
     Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military 
     Sexual Trauma (MST), chronic pain and opiate drug addiction.
       This non-pharmaceutical and non-invasive treatment has 
     helped hundreds of Veterans and their families who are 
     supporting and caring for these Veterans. There is no one 
     treatment for every individual, and it is important to give 
     Veterans options so that they have the power to choose which 
     treatment is best for them and their situation. Veterans have 
     sacrificed so much for our nation; it is our obligation to 
     provide for them and their families.
       We applaud your continued interest in exploring effective, 
     science-based and proven medical technologies to help our 
     Veterans. Like you, we believe it is our obligation and duty 
     to ensure Veterans receive the treatment they need to have 
     their lives and livelihoods restored.
           Sincerely,
                                                Marjorie Morrison,
     PsychArmor Institute, CEO & Founder.
                                  ____

                                                February 17, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Knight: Recent elections have focused us, 
     once again, on the ``here and now.'' And rightly so. With the 
     elections behind us, we have a shared sense of relief. But 
     for combat veterans, the ``here and now'' is also often 
     defined by ``there and then.'' They carry courage into 
     battle, serve with honor and come home--often finding they 
     need new courage to confront a new foe. Veterans who confront 
     post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and related 
     symptoms also deserve relief--and this Veterans' Day, 
     Congress is poised to give it to them.
       Truth can be compelling when it meets you up close and 
     personal. You know that for many Veterans, there is new truth 
     afoot, and it is compelling--and hopeful. In recent years, 
     the specialized, little-publicized brain treatment program 
     for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) known as Magnetic 
     EEG/EKG-guided Resonance Therapy (MeRT technology) has 
     emerged. The unique treatment, much studied and now widely 
     corroborated, is powerful. It changes lives.
       Just as the election was an inflection point, you have 
     recognized that Congress is in a position to change lives in 
     America for the better. If Congress can move beyond words and 
     intentions, beyond political jousting, America's veterans 
     will be forever grateful--and lives will be saved by the 
     thousands, and you are doing just that.
       The chance to give life back to those on the edge, who 
     wrestle daily with PTSD and related life-stresses and opiate 
     addiction, is at our finger-tips. The Washington Post and 
     veteran publications have aptly described it, and time is now 
     for action. I cannot say this with more conviction: We must 
     act to save the precious lives, and every one at risk is 
     precious. We lose more than 20 young men and women daily to 
     PTSD, and we can stop this in a single congressional vote for 
     your bill.
       The No Hero Left Untreated Act H.R. 1162 can help to change 
     everything. Through pilot programs administered by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans will turn a 
     critical corner. It will help to restore their mental health, 
     saving countless lives and those touched by those lives. 
     Without this act, our veterans will continue to languish 
     without access to this help. Seeing you, in a first post-
     election act bringing fifty Members together to unify around 
     what matters, can only be applauded. Politics aside, Congress 
     acting now to pass H.R. 1162 and a Senate companion bill 
     following immediately will begin immediately saving the 
     veterans most at risk. As your action clearly demonstrates, 
     there can no longer be any excuse.
       As first reported by the Washington Post, this is an 
     inflection point--a show stopper, a real chance for 
     meaningful change. Tested through double-blind studies, 98 
     percent of MeRT-treated veterans experienced at least a 10-
     point improvement in their PTSD Check List-Military (PCL-M) 
     score, and saw significant reduction in symptom severity, 
     after only 4 weeks of treatment. These results have been 
     mirrored in additional open label trials as well. Nothing 
     else I know of has come close to this success rate.
       Congressman Knight, all this brings me to today and my 
     offering of my support for your efforts on behalf of my 
     brothers and sisters who have so ably served. I thank you for 
     making their futures your first priority in the 115th 
     Congress.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Rebecca Halstead,
     Brigadier General Retired, (USA retired).
                                  ____



                                          WestCare Foundation,

                                                February 22, 2017.
     Hon. Steve Knight,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Knight: The purpose of this letter is to 
     show full support from WestCare Foundation, Inc, for H.R. 
     1162, the No Hero Left Untreated Act. This progressive piece 
     of legislation brings a critical health solution for Post-
     Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury 
     (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), chronic pain, and opiate 
     drug addiction to our nation's Veterans through Magnetic EEG/
     EKG-guided Resonance Therapy (MeRT technology).
       The doctors of the Newport Brain Research Lab/Brain 
     Treatment Center (NBRL/BTC) have introduced a game-changer 
     addressing

[[Page H4473]]

     seemingly intractable behavioral health conditions through 
     their development of MeRT technology. The data from both open 
     label and double-blind studies of MeRT technology are 
     compelling. This protocol, offered as a first line treatment 
     of the physical brain through neuromodulation, can improve 
     the behavioral health outcomes for all of us who subsequently 
     provide evidence-based therapies that will further benefit 
     Veteran patients and clients as, together, we create a more 
     effective comprehensive continuum of care.
       As a Veteran of the Vietnam War, myself, I am especially 
     interested in seeing the VA bring this work into their 
     practice of medicine. For over forty years later, we continue 
     to see the negative life impact of war on our men and women 
     who served without the advent of practice and protocols 
     sufficient for their full recovery. MeRT technology is 
     producing results that are saving lives and increasing the 
     potential for follow-on therapies to change the future 
     trajectory of the lives of our Veterans and their families as 
     well.
       We owe our warriors the very best treatment available in 
     America. MeRT technology is clearly making a difference. I 
     commend you for offering this important legislation and urge 
     its passage as soon as possible! Every day without it can be 
     measured in loss of life, in loss of positive contribution to 
     our communities from our American heroes, and in loss of our 
     fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, friends and 
     neighbors.
           Sincerely,
                                                Richard Steinberg,
                                                    President/CEO.

  Mr. KNIGHT. Mr. Speaker, in a time when the Defense Department 
maintains technological superiority over our adversaries in combat, our 
Veterans Affairs Department must continue to push the technological 
limit to treating our selfless servicemembers once their duty is done.
  I am optimistic that this pilot program for our veteran population 
will be the first of many that improves our ability to heal wounded 
veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I will leave my colleagues with one last quote. As the 
AMVETS' executive director stated in his letter of support for this 
bill: ``It is imperative that we, as a nation, look at new ways to help 
those who have stood up and walked the walk, and suffer the 
consequences day after day.''
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Knight) for his innovative approach in trying to get services to our 
veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join us in passing H.R. 
1162.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I, too, encourage all Members to 
support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1162.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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