News
Blast Injuries Dealt a Bad Hand
A couple of weeks ago, an article appeared in USA Today that relayed some scary information. Congress may be about to slash funding for the most the treatment of brain injured veterans:
Congress appears ready to slash funding for the research and treatment of brain injuries caused by bomb blasts, an injury that military scientists describe as a signature wound of the Iraq war.House and Senate versions of the 2007 Defense appropriation bill contain $7 million for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center — half of what the center received last fiscal year.
Proponents of increased funding say they are shocked to see cuts in the treatment of bomb blast injuries in the midst of a war.
“I find it basically unpardonable that Congress is not going to provide funds to take care of our soldiers and sailors who put their lives on the line for their country,” says Martin Foil, a member of the center’s board of directors. “It blows my imagination.”
Apparently, the DVBIC requested an increase of their operating budget and instead met with plans to reduce it.
In a time of budget cuts, Congress may be about to deprive thousands of American troops of one of their most valuable assets. I have to agree with Foil: the proposed measure is unpardonable.
Click here to read “Center faces budget cut” in USA Today.
UPDATE: Thanks to aggressive advocacy, Congress not only awarded the DVBIC its requested funding, but also increased their budget significantly!
