October 19, 2017
The Honorable Mac Thornberry
Chairman
House Committee on Armed Services
2216 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20015
Dear Mr. Chairman,
As you work to resolve differences in the House-Senate conference committee for the fiscal year 2018
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (Society) wanted to
ensure that you and your colleagues are aware of the importance of the programs that comprise the
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), particularly the Multiple Sclerosis Research
Program (MSRP) to members of the U.S. military and their families.
A recent Politico article entitled Space Corps, budget debates top NDAA conference issues, discusses several
provisions (Sections 733, 891, 892, and 893) of the Senate-approved version of the NDAA. These
provisions would restrict the types of research that could be funded at the Department of Defense (DoD)
and add burdensome contracting and auditing requirements designed for large weapons system contracts to
the research funded by the CDMRPs. You were quoted in the article, stating that you “worry that, over time
this whole (CDMRP) program has grown so much to have so many diseases and conditions that have very tenuous, if any,
connection with DoD that can’t be sustained.”
The Society opposes these provisions, and believes that the MSRP showcases how individual
CDMRPs provide innovative research to improve the health of our military service members.
Today, there are currently over 32,000 veterans with diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) and over 11,000 of
those veterans have a service connected disability for MS. MS is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of
the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain
and the body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress,
severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted.
Currently, there is a presumptive period for a service connected benefit for MS. Individuals who are
diagnosed with MS while they are in the military or within seven years of their honorable discharge are
eligible for a service-connected disability.
•A 2003 review found that, 5,345 veterans that served in Vietnam and the first Gulf War were
diagnosed with MS that was deemed "service-connected." The relative risk for developing MS
also was significantly higher for this group of veterans than those who served in World War
II and the Korean War.
• Recently, an advisory committee commissioned by the VA recommended further study into the
potential link between combat service and the increased risk of developing MS.
More research into the risk of developing MS and improving diagnosis in deployed service members is
critical to preserving military strength and readiness. If a service member’s risk of developing MS is
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increased by their military service, it is the DoD’s responsibility to ensure that research is done to
identify ways to mitigate that risk and to provide for the best care possible for that service member
once they return home and transition back into civilian life.
The MSRP is currently funded at $6 million dollars to “prevent, cure, reverse, or slow the progression, and lessen the
personal and societal impact of multiple sclerosis.” Research within the MSRP is aimed at ways to reduce disease
progression, reverse damage, and identify a cure; enabling those serving our country who develop MS to
continue their service, improve health outcomes and reverse the impact of MS on service ranks. Society
volunteer Kevin Byrne lives with MS and has spoken frankly about the impact of MS on military readiness:
“I was diagnosed while deployed overseas, in command of U.S. Army Air Cavalry Troop. Despite
the ravaging effects of my disease, I remained in command. I served my soldiers and our country
for an additional nine months before returning to the States to process for medical retirement. Our
country lost a force multiplier because we do not yet have a way to lessen the impact of multiple
sclerosis.”
The innovative high-risk, high-reward peer-reviewed research model of the MSRP allows it to be nimble
and shift the focus to timely, emerging needs. The MSRP utilizes a two-tiered peer review model, one level
made up of scientific experts in the field, and one made up of consumer reviewers – non-scientists who live
with MS. Many of these consumer reviewers are veterans, who bring their unique perspectives to guide
what research will be funded and most valuable to the DoD and active duty service members. Though a
relatively new program, the MSRP is funding research that has the potential to vastly improve MS diagnosis,
develop imaging biomarkers and therapeutic targets to guide future MS treatments, and utilize patientspecific
stem cell therapies for not only MS, but all neurological conditions.
Continued Congressional support and investment in the MSRP is greatly important to those who live with
MS. We believe that you and your colleagues should understand importance of the research funded by this
program as you make decisions that will impact the future of all CDMRPs. We welcome the opportunity to
meet with you personally to discuss these issues with you prior to the conference committee deliberations.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Leslie Ritter, Senior Director, Federal
Government Relations at Leslie.Ritter@nmss.org or (202) 408-0681.
Sincerely,
Bari Talente
Executive Vice President, Advocacy
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
cc: Senator John McCain
Senator Jack Reed
Representative Adam Smith
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