Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday approved the fiscal year 2009 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, which includes funding for important California needs requested by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

Senator Boxer said, “I’m pleased the Appropriations Committee recognized the need for these priorities, which are crucial to protecting and caring for our service men and women and will bolster national security.”

The following Boxer provisions were included in the bill:

 $4 million for Military Burn Trauma Research Program - University of California Davis

This funding allows for large-scale clinical trials of burn treatments through the Burns Outcomes Research Infrastructure (BORI) project, which was established through last year’s Defense Appropriations Bill.

Senator Boxer said, “Many of our brave service members are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with horrific burn injuries.  Unfortunately, advancements in burn care have not come as quickly as we’d like. This critical funding will enable researchers to carry out large-scale clinical trials to rapidly improve treatment.”

 $4 million for High Speed, High Volume Laboratory Network for Infectious Disease - University of California Los Angeles

This funding will help ensure that America has the capability to quickly analyze and process high quantities of biological material in the event of a terrorist attack using biological weapons or a pandemic outbreak such as avian flu. 

$2 million for Acinetobacter Baumannii Research

This funding continues research into therapies for Acinetobacter Baumannii, an infectious bacterium resistant to antibiotics and prevalent among troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This bacterium is widely recognized as one of today’s most dangerous pathogens.  In 2004, about 30 percent of all patients returning from Iraq and Afghanistan tested positive. 

$2 million for Full Scale Impact and Blast Loading Laboratory Testing Program - University of California San Diego

This funding provides for continued tests which simulate full-scale explosions using a hydraulic-based blast simulator.  These tests help develop strategies to better protect Americans, particularly men and women in the military, and infrastructure such as bridges and embassies from explosive attacks. 

$1.5 million for Strategic Language Initiative - California State University Long Beach

This funding will further the development of critical foreign language programs which will help meet America’s national security needs.  The initiative will help graduate more professionals with language skills and cultural knowledge in Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, Persian and Russian.

$1.5 million for Advanced Tactical Threat Warning Radio

Advanced Tactical Threat Warning Radio would provide Special Operations Forces with the ability to identify and locate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which would help reduce attacks against American and coalition forces. 

$3.5 million for Military Photomedicine Program - University of California Irvine

This funding continues competitive, grant-funded research into photomedicine, an emerging field of biomedical research that uses light interaction with human tissue.  The research shows promise in its ability to address many priority military medical problems including drug resistant infections, early detection of Traumatic Brain Injury and reconstructive surgery. 

The bill will now move before the full Senate for approval.

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