WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) today reintroduced the bipartisan United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act to establish a grant program for research efforts between the U.S. and Israel to advance post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatments. U.S. Representative Michael Waltz (R-Flor.) introduced the companion legislation in the House.
This bill would allow the Department of Defense (DoD) to create partnerships through the Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program with American and Israeli institutions aimed at advancing PTSD research, while establishing a grant program to fund the collaborative research conducted through these partnerships.
“When it comes to the health of our service members, veterans and their families, we must start by ensuring that the Department of Defense is fully funding medical research and medical treatment facilities – and that service members have access to the most well-trained doctors and medical personnel,” said Sen. Cardin. “This legislation would enhance the ongoing efforts by DoD to advance PTSD research, diagnosis and treatment by enabling it to partner with Israel, one of our most trusted allies. This grant program will be essential in ensuring that our service members and veterans have access to latest medical advancements to treat PTSD.”
“Through research and science, the global medical community is starting to better understand and treat PTSD which often affects everyday people whom we consider our friends and neighbors, such as veterans, law enforcement officers and victims of violence,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation creates a grant program to support collaborations between American and Israeli research institutions to grow our understanding of this mental health condition and to provide treatment and hope for those who suffer from this disorder.”
“PTSD is a serious condition afflicting many of our friends and loved ones, service members, veterans, first responders, victims of violence and others who have faced severe traumas,” said Sen. Menendez. “Our bill will help bring the best and brightest minds and researchers together from the United States and Israel to develop greater understanding of the disorder and new treatments to improve people’s lives.”
“Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is all too common among service members and veterans, and we should be doing all we can to get the best research around the world to treat it and prevent it,” said Senator Ernst, the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate. “This bill will give American troops and veterans access to our ally Israel’s cutting edge treatments and research.”
“Thousands of warfighters often struggle to find normalcy after returning home from combat deployments,” said Rep. Waltz. “Through no fault of their own, PTSD does not discriminate and can inflict many of these service members as a natural response. Congress has a responsibility to these brave men and women to find solutions to alleviate the trauma caused by PTSD.”
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