WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Mike Michaud has passed two amendments to the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Appropriations bill. One amendment, which passed today, would ensure that no funds in the bill are spent in violation of the "Berry Amendment," which requires the Department of Defense to procure certain categories of products from American manufacturers, including food, clothing, fabrics, stainless steel, and certain tools. A link to video of Michaud's remarks on the House floor today can be found here.
"Especially at a time when our economic recovery continues to struggle, our federal contracting policies should benefit American businesses and workers to the greatest extent possible," said Michaud, who worked with Congressman Larry Kissell of North Carolina to pass the amendment. "I'm a firm believer that the Berry Amendment should be applied more broadly so that it covers more items, including footwear, which could provide a boost to Maine manufacturers like New Balance."
As a cosponsor of the "Berry Amendment Extension Act," Michaud is currently working with his colleagues to apply the Berry Amendment to U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The other amendment that Michaud pushed, which passed late last night, would provide a funding boost to research into Gulf War Illnesses, which continue to afflict an estimated 250,000 veterans of the first Gulf War. The new $10 million budget made possible through the amendment for the Gulf War Veterans Illnesses Research Program will help the Department of Defense improve research into treatments and live up to the recommendations of a new landmark report of the Institute of Medicine that called for a major national research effort to identify treatments.
"These veterans put their lives on the line to our country and now they are suffering a lifetime of pain and a potentially shortened life," said Michaud, who worked with Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio to pass the amendment last night. "I'm hopeful these additional resources will help us find new treatments that will provide some relief to our veterans who continue to struggle."
Over one-third of the veterans of the first Gulf War suffer from persistent symptoms such as chronic headache, widespread pain, cognitive difficulties, unexplained fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, respiratory symptoms, and other abnormalities that are not explained by traditional medical or psychiatric diagnoses. Research shows that as these veterans age, they are at double risk for ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease as compared to their non-deployed peers. There may also be connections to Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. There are currently no known treatments for the lifelong pain these veterans endure.
