Traumatic Brain Injury Act 2008

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act.

Traumatic Brain Injury, TBI, is a leading cause of death and disability in young Americans. Approximately 1.4 million people sustain a TBI each year in the United States. The most common causes of TBI are falls, traffic accidents, and assault. These brain injuries result in short-term or long-term disabilities and can severely impact how people live their lives.

Congress took an important step in 1996 by passing the Traumatic Brain Injury Act to promote brain injury research, education, treatment, and prevention. It is the only Federal law that specifically addresses the issues faced by persons with brain injury. This law has successfully improved access to health care and other services for individuals with TBI. Without the TBI Act, State governments and these individuals would be left to their own devices.

More recently, we have seen an increasing number of traumatic brain injuries in servicemembers returning home from combat operations. The programs in the TBI Act can help the thousands of troops wounded in combat and suffering from brain injury. We have an obligation to assist these soldiers, and I am proud that Congress has provided funding in the recent appropriations bill to address TBI in returning personnel.

The reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act builds on the success of the original 1996 law by continuing to educate the public and provide much needed data on TBI for scientists, health care providers, and policy makers. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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