Washington, DC – {Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO), ranking member of the O&I subcommittee of the House Armed Services committee, successfully attached an amendment to improve health care for our warfighters to  the Defense and Authorization Act of FY09 (HR 5658).   The bill, which authorizes budget authority for the Department of Defense and the national security programs at the Department of Energy, will now carry these health care provisions offered by Congressman Akin when it comes to a vote on the House floor.

The bill contains two provisions that Congressman Akin has worked to include that will improve health care for our warfighters.  The first is aimed at increasing the availability of chiropractic care at military healthcare facilities.  The second, which Akin added by amendment, authorizes the Department of Defense to establish a peer-reviewed research program focused on extremity trauma.

 “While the military health care system leads the world in providing prosthetics, more can be done to prevent the loss of limbs in the first place,” said Akin. “This program will provide quality research that should lead to better care of our troops. 

“There has been a tremendous increase in the ability to reduce fatalities by medical intervention do to scientific advancement and research,” said Akin. “It is appropriate to increase funding for medical research into saving the limbs of those injured during the defense of our Nation.”