Panel Backs Bill Compensating Sick Persian Gulf War Veterans

Gulf War veterans with debilitating but undiagnosed illnesses would be eligible for benefits under a bill approved Thursday by the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

The legislation, passed unanimously and sent to the House floor, requires the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs to compensate sick veterans even when the cause of their health problems cannot be directly linked to service in the 1991 war.

Thousands of veterans have complained of muscle pains, memory loss, skin rashes, respiratory problems and tumors. They have suggested a number of causes, including possible exposure to Iraqi chemical and biological agents, fumes from oil fires and insecticides.

Many have not been able to obtain health care or compensation for service-related health problems because no single cause of “Persian Gulf Syndrome” has been found.

The legislation “takes a bold step forward to recognize their sacrifices and accord them the same benefits that other service-connected disabled veterans receive,” said Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.), a committee member.

Under the bill, compensation would be paid to Gulf War veterans for three years, with automatic extensions, if, at the end of that period, the cause of the illness is still not understood.

It would require the VA to set up an outreach program for Persian Gulf veterans and their families, and would authorize $5 million a year for fiscal years 1995 through 1997 for research into Gulf War veterans’ health risks and treatment.

VA Secretary Jesse Brown has said that the Clinton Administration strongly supports the legislation.