Cancels Contract with UTSW Medical Center

UPDATE
A New False outrage

As usual spin is in and truth is out, even when it comes to our veterans. This program was not working according to the agreement the VA had with them. This is from a "news" site. Notice the wording.

Democrats cancel Gulf War illness research money
that Republicans earmarked for Texas center
Suzanne Gamboa August 26th, 2009

Too bad this "news" site missed this

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2009
11:49 AM
CONTACT: Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Nathan White (202)225-5871


Kucinich Secures $8 Million For Gulf War Veterans Illness Research
Money Will Expand On Studies For Treatment, Bringing Us Closer To Identifying A Cure
WASHINGTON - July 31 -

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) secured a major victory for veterans of the first Gulf War by garnering $8 million for Gulf War Illness (GWI) research in the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations bill that passed the House yesterday.


“This research will build on previous studies on Gulf War Illness.” Kucinich said. “This funding will take giant steps forward in identifying a treatment or a cure for Gulf War Veteran’s illness.”


In its landmark 454-page report delivered in November, the Congressionally-mandated Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses at the Department of Veterans Affairs (RAC) reported that “Gulf War illness is real, that it is the result of neurotoxin exposures during Gulf War deployment and that few veterans have recovered or substantially improved with time.”


For the first time, the report identified several suspected causes and two known causes: exposure to pesticides and a drug given to troops to protect them from nerve gas.


“There are currently no effective treatments for these conditions. With research, we learn the true causes of GWI and the possibilities open up. We must continue to attack GWI and fund the research with an amount commensurate with the scope of the problem,” said Kucinich.


Kucinich’s request for funding received bipartisan support from Reps. Henry Brown, Holt, Filner, Michaud, Baldwin, C. Brown, Conyers, Edwards, Grijalva, Hall, Maloney, McDermott, D. Moore, G. Moore, Pascrell, Pingree, Ross, Sestak, Stark and Yarmuth.

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/07/31-4

And this one

Gulf War Research Funding Positive Sign for Affected Veterans
Submitted by linda on Wed, 12/06/2006 - 12:00am.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
WASHINGTON - The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization applauds Congress for having the foresight to provide funding to the Southwestern Medical Center’s Gulf War Illness research program. The Center, headed by Dr. Robert Haley at the University of Texas Southwestern, was awarded $15 million, renewable for up to four years, to further the scientific knowledge on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses research. “This research will not only impact veterans of the 1991 Gulf War, but may prove beneficial for those currently serving in the Southwest Asia theater and the Middle East during this Global War on Terror,” said National Commander Paul A. Morin. According to the quarterly Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom health care utilization report released last month issued by the Veteran Health Administration's Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards, there have been 67,743 visits made for illnesses categorized as “Symptoms, Signs and Ill Defined Conditions” out of the 205,097 visits made to VA Medical Centers. The Institute of Medicine’s September 2006 report, Gulf War and Health, Volume 4, indicated that existing research has demonstrated that Gulf War veterans are reporting more symptoms including more severe symptoms than their non-deployed counter-parts and there is no known explanation for it. “The purpose of research is to fill in the gaps of knowledge where there is little, yet suggestive information,” Morin explained. “Dr. Haley’s research will further this knowledge about Gulf War veterans’ illnesses and hopefully help improve the lives of ill Gulf War veterans, and their families who suffer beside them,” Morin added.

Gulf War Research Funding Positive Sign for Affected Veterans

There were rules this funding involved and if this "news" site read the report they posted, they would know why the funding was cut off. I thought people were supposed to care about our veterans and where the money was goind while they wait for help.

VA Continues Gulf War Research,

Cancels Contract with UTSW Medical Center



WASHINGTON (Aug. 26, 2009) - Citing persistent noncompliance and
numerous performance deficiencies, the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) will not exercise the third year of a five-year, $75 million
contract with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
(UTSWMC) to perform research into Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (GWVI).



"Research into the illnesses suffered by Gulf War Veterans remains a
priority for VA," said Dr. Gerald M. Cross, VA's Acting Under Secretary
for Health. "As part of our commitment to this vital effort, we must
make certain that our resources are used to support effective and
productive research."



VA listed several reasons for not exercising the contract option,
including UTSWMC's persistent and continuing noncompliance with contract
terms and conditions and detailed documentation by the contracting
officer of performance deficiencies. VA also noted that its Office of
Inspector General documented severe performance deficiencies in a July
15 report and recommended that no further task orders be issued under
the contract.



VA will meet with UTSWMC contract staff on today to provide guidance for
completing work in progress and submitting adequate documentation to
allow payment. UTSWMC will be allowed to fulfill task orders already in
progress if it corrects all performance deficiencies. .



The decision not to continue the contract means VA's research program
will be able to redirect funds to support additional research into GWVI.
In 2010, that research will include a genomic study to identify
susceptibility factors and markers of GWVI; studies of similarities and
differences with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia; studies of
new diagnostic tests; identification of sub-populations of ill Gulf War
Veterans; and studies of potential new treatments.



The redirected funding for these new VA research initiatives will be in
addition to the substantial support VA already provides for GWVI
research--$7 million in 2008 and $4.8 million so far in 2009.