House Committee Adopts Platts Amendment to Ensure Better Treatment of Troops Suffering from Brain Injuries

The U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee (HASC) approved an amendment Wednesday to the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1540) which was sponsored by Congressman Todd Platts (PA-19) to direct the U.S. Department of Defense to establish guidelines for post-acute rehabilitation of moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) for our military personnel.  Congressman Platts sponsored the amendment on behalf of the office of U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ-8). H.R. 1540 was adopted by the HASC by a vote of 60 to 1 and Congressman Platts’ amendment, which was voted on as part of a larger amendment package, was approved by voice vote.

“Congress has acknowledged that traumatic brain injuries from blast exposures are the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Platts, a member of the Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Brain Injury Task Force.  “It is more important than ever that we do right by the men and women in our military who serve in harm’s way to ensure that they receive the highest quality of medical treatment available in order to lead meaningful and productive lives post-injury.”

It is estimated that more than 300,000 American soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have experienced a possible TBI.  These injuries can include those caused by shrapnel that penetrate the skull, but also injuries with no visible signs caused by shockwaves from improvised explosive devices and mortars. Due to significant scientific and medical advances by the military, more service members are surviving the acute stages of blast injuries, said Congressman Platts.

To build upon that, however, it is critical that guidelines for post-acute rehabilitation of moderate to severe TBI be established for our military personnel.  Such medical guidelines would make certain that our service members have access to treatment that works, while saving taxpayer funds in long-term care costs and making post-injury lives as productive and fulfilling as possible.

H.R. 1540 now advances to the full House of Representatives for approval. Since 2005, Congressman Platts has served as co-chair, along with U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-8), of the bipartisan Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, which has fought to improve medical services for soldiers suffering from TBI, while also educating the public about such injuries.