[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 18 (Monday, May 5, 1997)]
[Pages 624-625]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Interim Report of the Presidential Advisory Committee 
on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses

May 1, 1997

    I appreciate the ongoing, rigorous work of the Presidential Advisory 
Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, and I welcome their interim 
letter report.
    The care and well-being of our Gulf war veterans is a national duty 
and a national priority. That is why I appointed the Committee in May 
1995, extended its mandate in January 1997, and directed its attention 
in February 1997 to the recently released intelligence documents 
concerning possible chemical exposures.
    I am determined that my administration will do everything necessary 
to uncover all the facts and act on any relevant information, to provide 
our Gulf war veterans with the quality medical care they need, and to 
make sure that in any future troop deployments, we draw on lessons 
learned in the Gulf war to better protect the health of our troops and 
their families.
    This interim report, like those that preceded it, will help us meet 
that responsibility in an increasingly effective way. I have asked the 
Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services, 
as well as the Acting Director of Central Intelligence, to study the 
report and, 2 weeks from today, provide me their proposals for 
implementing the Committee's recommendations.
    To further strengthen our search for the facts, Secretary Cohen and 
Acting DCI Tenet have asked former Senator Warren Rudman to review the 
results of their ongoing investigations related to Gulf war illnesses 
and to offer appropriate recommendations. Senator Rudman brings solid 
expertise and sound judgment to this important job. I am confident he 
will assist the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence 
Agency in ensuring their investigations are thorough and will also 
enhance our ability to integrate Gulf war intelligence ``lessons 
learned'' into our future planning.
    I am grateful for the PAC's dedication and persistence, and look 
forward to their continued, indispensable efforts to make sure no stone 
is left unturned on behalf of America's

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Gulf war veterans. We will not rest in our determination to find the 
answers our service men and women need and ensure that they receive the 
care and benefits they deserve.