| Patty Murray Washington
|
|
Mr. and Mrs.______________
Dear Mr. and Mrs.__________:
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding "Gulf War Syndrome." I
appreciate hearing from you on this very important matter.
As you know, since the conclusion of the Persian Gulf War, many veterans returning to
civilian life and military duties have increasingly complained of a variety of illnesses
that have been difficult to trace to a single source. The reported ailments include
headaches, muscle and joint pain, loss of memory and other more serious illnesses.
In 1996, I joined the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee; the only member of Washington's
congressional delegation to serve on the committee with jurisdiction over veterans
programs and issues. Since joining the Committee, I have spent a significant amount of
time on the issue of possible chemical and biological exposures during the Persian Gulf
War. Like you, I am extremely frustrated by the government's handling of this matter.
Since the Persian Gulf War, the federal government -- particularly the Department of
Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency -- has failed to provide our Gulf veterans
with adequate information about exposure to chemical and biological agents. Sadly, the
government possessed information prior to the Persian Gulf War about certain Iraqi weapons
depots that could have spared U.S. personnel from potential exposure to chemical and
biological agents. The government has lagged in providing important care to our vets and
in conducting timely research to pinpoint the causes of assorted Gulf War illnesses.
Rest assured, I will continue my work on this issue. The Senate Veterans' Affairs
Committee is expected to conduct additional hearings on this issue soon. Due to a request
that I made, the committee came to Washington state to hear directly from our veterans in
early August. Those individuals who served our nation in the Persian Gulf deserve not only
sufficient care, they must be provided with answers to questions about the origin of
"Gulf War Syndrome."
Again, I appreciate your taking the time to contact me. Please don't hesitate to stay in
touch on this or any other issue of concern.
Sincerely,
United States Senator
