[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 416]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              ANTIBODIES TO SQUALENE IN GULF WAR SYNDROME

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Metcalf) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. METCALF. Madam Speaker, joined by several colleagues, today I 
wrote Secretary of Defense William Cohen asking for an objective 
analysis of the ``Antibodies to Squalene in Gulf War Syndrome,'' an 
article that has just been published in the February 2000 issue of 
Experimental and Molecular Pathology.
  This peer-reviewed article found anti-squalene antibodies in a very 
high percentage of sick Gulf War-era veterans. As a bio-marker for the 
disease process involved in Gulf War illnesses, the blood tests cited 
in the study could provide a vital diagnostic tool. We hope this will 
quickly lead to improved medical treatments for many who are suffering.
  Many who have heard about this issue are anxious to understand the 
ramifications, especially those veterans and their families whose lives 
sadly have been directly affected.
  We certainly acknowledge the need for further research. However, that 
should not preclude a vigorous examination of the immediate benefits 
this study may provide doctors treating those who suffer from Gulf War 
illnesses.
  The House-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2000 Defense 
Appropriations Bill included report language instructing the Department 
of Defense to develop and/or validate the assay to test for the 
presence of squalene antibodies. This action was taken in response to 
DOD unwillingness to cooperate with the March 1999 General Accounting 
Office recommendation. It reflected my firm belief that the integrity 
of the assay was the first step in finding answers.
  Now that this study has been peer-reviewed and published, we need to 
take the next step and build on established science. An internal review 
by the same individuals within DOD who were unwilling to cooperate for 
months does not constitute the kind of science that those who 
sacrificed for this Nation deserve. Given the published article, it 
seems prudent to use the assay if it could help sick Gulf War veterans. 
At this critical juncture, my colleagues and myself fervently hope that 
Secretary Cohen agrees.
  We must stay the course and find the answers that will bring 
effective medical treatments for those who suffer from Gulf War 
illnesses. Let me assure my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, I intend to do so.

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