WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, provided the following statement today in reaction to a report released by the Institute of Medicine that found limited or suggestive evidence of an association between Agent Orange exposure and hypertension: 

"Our nation's veterans need to have confidence that the government is steadfast in continuing to resolve uncertainties about the health effects of Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam veterans," stated Akaka. "To that end, I support IOM's recommendations for additional research in toxicology, exposure assessment, and epidemiology so that veterans can have the best available information on diseases and conditions that may result from their service during the Vietnam War."

"Congress must be ever-mindful of the lingering health effects of war - especially at a time when so many men and women are serving in military operations worldwide. We must never forget that some casualties of war continue even after the last bullet is fired."

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