Category Archives: Donald Trump

Update: Bipartisan Appeal for Reauthorization of TBI Act

On Friday, December 21, 2018, “H.R. 6615, which reauthorizes appropriations for programs and activities relating to the study, prevention, and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI),” was signed into law by President Trump.  Officially called the Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2018, the bill previously passed the House with a 353-6 margin and passed the Senate unanimously.  (Reauthorizations were also given to other key health bills, H.R.1222, the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2017, and H.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2018.)

Earlier this month, Congressman Pascrell spoke of the bill in House, “Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R.6615… I would like to thank Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone for their work to move this important legislation forward.”  Following being signed into law, Chairman Greg Walden (OR) said, “These bipartisan bills… represent a continuation of the hard work [the House Energy and Commerce Committee] has done this Congress to protect and improve the health of all Americans.  From reauthorizing programs so we can better treat and understand congenital heart defects to increasing our understanding of traumatic brain injury, to improving maternal health outcomes… these bipartisan bills will have a profound effect of the lives of children, families, and communities all across the country.”

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See also: Bipartisan Appeal for Reauthorization of TBI Act

 

Trump Gives Credit to Caregivers

“Trump donates his presidential paycheck to VA caregivers,” read the headline on The Military Times website yesterday, May 17, 2018.   Specifically, the President’s quarterly paycheck of $100,000 is the first check that the President has donated to the VA (earmarked for the caregivers) and the fifth paycheck that he has donated to various governmental departments.  “President Trump understands the critical role of caregivers,” said Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie of this quarter’s donation. Apart from financial support, caregivers support the health and healthcare of dependents and provide much needed social interaction.

Earlier this year, the “Trump tax cut”, H.R. 1, that passed in March, states that, “The [tax] credit [for caregivers]… shall be increased by $500 for each dependent of the taxpayer.”  A dependent is a relative who lives with the caregiver, earns less than $4,050 annually and that the caregiver financially supports.  This is a description that applies to many brain-injured individuals.

A Different Perspective: Cold War Tactics in Cuba

The news late last year that the Cuban government might have found a way to produce sonic effects that harmed the brain of over 20 embassy agents was horrifying.  Now, the liberal publication, The Nation, asks if making Americans fearful of travelling to Cuba was the sole purpose: Is it merely a construct of fear developed by the Trump administration?

To reiterate that effects reported on as suffered by those in the embassy, “Some can no longer remember words, while others have hearing loss, speech problems, balance issues, nervous-system damage. Headaches, ringing in the ears, and nausea.”  The Nation states the government’s conclusion of these findings, which may seem obvious to many brain injury survivors and their families: “We think the audible sound was a consequence of the exposure, because audible sound is not known to cause brain injury.”  For example, tinnitus is a known effect of brain injury.

Regardless of this finding, the publication goes on to say that, “the alert reflects an ongoing effort by President Trump’s State Department to frighten US travelers away from Cuba.”  True, no tourist, and only those who worked for the embassy and their families were affected.  However, Americans should not discount the study’s findings, especially simply because of dislike of the President.  The consequence of error could be significant.

(The prevailing liberal reaction to this problem is curious, given the Democratic Party’s stance on guns and other physical weapons that can be used to commit murder or injury, but statistically have a lower percentage of doing so than whatever has occurred in Cuba.  The President’s response is curious too, in that it puts blame on the Cuban government without a full and comprehensive investigation.)

[SEE PREVIOUS ARTICLE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE AMERICAN TROUBLES IN CUBA]

2017 NDEAM: Inclusion Drives Innovation

This past month has been a time of, “reflecting [on] the important role that different perspectives play in workforce success,” as October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  This year, President Trump issued a proclamation to honor NDEAM in which he recognized that, “every American who is willing and able to work should have the opportunity… this includes the 30 million American adults with disabilities.”  Statistically, it is unfortunate to see that NDEAM has not had enough of an effect in its 70+ years of existence.  According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for disabled Americans has risen, from 18.1 percent in September 2016 to 19.6 percent this September.  However, this is still far below the employment rate for non-disabled Americans, which was 65.5 percent in September 2016 and 66 percent this year.

President Trump referred to the above statistic, when he said that, “more employers should recognize the fresh perspectives and skills these men and women can add to an innovation-focused workforce.”  Reflecting this statement, in 2017, the theme of NDEAM has been “Inclusion Drives Innovation“.

Cold War Tactics in Cuba

The Associated Press has released audio of mysterious sounds that some US diplomats and their families , as well as Canadian diplomats and families, were unknowingly subjected to in Cuba before suffering a variety of neurological problems, reports various sources.  “Some can no longer remember words, while others have hearing loss, speech problems, balance issues, nervous-system damage, headaches, ringing in the ears, and nausea. Some have shown signs of brain swelling or concussions — mild traumatic brain injuries.”  News in North America since last year, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that the US State Department determined that it was most likely that these problems were “specific attacks”.  (Most likely from the Cuban government, but environmental issues or simply human error could cause such problems, too.)  Though it is known that audible attacks can be a weapon, the exact weapon used in this instance is still not known or understood.

There have been some studies showing that sound can cause brain injuries.  A study conducted by the University of Texas in 2014, for example, showed that, “prolonged exposure to loud noise alters how the brain processes speech, potentially increasing the difficulty in distinguishing speech sounds.”  Such a conclusion goes way beyond the general thought that prolonged exposure to loud noise results in hearing loss.  Additionally, there are already words to describe some of the problems people have with sound.  Misophonia, literally “hatred of sound”, was proposed in 2000 as a condition in which negative emotions, thoughts, and physical reactions are triggered by specific sounds.  The more likely culprit is hyperacusis, a “debilitating hearing disorder characterized by an increased sensitivity to certain frequencies and volume ranges of sound (a collapsed tolerance to usual environmental sound).”  Causes of hyperacusis include, but are not limited to, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

However, the United States government is not wholly confident that sound caused these brain injuries.  Since there is very little way to determine if such sound came at the direction of the Cuban government or by it, it is important not to draw final conclusions.  Still, the United States has severely shrunk its embassy staff in Cuba.  Earlier this month, President Trump expelled 15 Cuban diplomats from the United States.  Additionally, since September 29, 2017, “The Department of State warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Cuba.”

Trauma on Trumpcare

Update: Today, “President Donald Trump asked Republican senators not to leave town for their August recess without passing a health care reform plan that makes good on seven years of promises to repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.”

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Since 2010, health care has been a top talking point for both general Americans and the American government.  Then, Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, was enacted without a single Republican vote.  Now, the current iteration of Trumpcare, H.R. 1628, has passed the House and seeks to pass the Senate without the support of a single Democrat Senator.  Increasingly though, it is losing Republican support*, as Senators wrangle with the idea on Medicaid cuts and other issues.  (According to a recent report, the bill would cut Medicaid funding for children by at least $43 billion over 10 years.)

Throughout the country, articles continue to show the need for Medicaid for many Americans, often showcasing the needs of the brain injured.  The website MyCentralJersey.com (part of the USA Today network) highlights a 22-year-old and his mother who spoke to members of Congress about the ongoing trauma that the family deals with, caused by an accident that occurred when the boy was 18.  “Many families… will face major health care challenges.  It is important to protect Medicaid to allow these families to focus on their child’s care and recovery,” said the mother.  An article published on cleveland.com highlights the care of a severely brain injured man who lives in a nursing home, but whose family worries he won’t be able to stay at the facility with the proposed Medicaid cut.  A New York-based newspaper notes a 9-year-old girl who survived a horse-back riding accident with the financial support of Medicaid.

Yesterday, Trump expressed his frustration on Twitter with passing this bill.  “Most Republicans were loyal…,” he wrote, as a criticism of those Republicans who did not express support for the law.  However, this statement appears to show that Trump is looking for support to him and party, when he should be seeking support and loyalty towards the American people.

(Notably, Arizona Senator John McCain underwent surgery yesterday to rid him of blood clots in or near his left eye.  While the specifics of his initial condition and the exact surgical procedure he underwent remains vague, it is concerning.  Because of McCain, the vote on this health care bill has been delayed.  It will be interesting, though, to see if McCain’s ordeal affects his views. )

* Yesterday, “Sens. Mike Lee (Utah) [a staunch conservative] and Jerry Moran (Kan.) issued statements declaring that they would not vote for the revamped measure.  They joined Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Susan Collins (Maine), who also oppose it.”  A significant amount of other Republicans have also not declared their support.

North Korean Trauma

“An American university student who was returned to the United States this week after being held in North Korea for 17 months has a severe brain injury and is in a state of ‘unresponsive wakefulness’,” doctors told Reuters yesterday.  Specifically, Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student of the University of Virginia, was returned to America and is now a patient at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he shows no understanding of any communication around him.  Given the limited amount of information provided by Kim Jong Un’s Korean military, the exact cause of Warmbier’s comatose state is not known.  However, one of the top assumptions is that his condition is the result of a traumatic brain injury.

Warmbier, originally from Wyoming, Ohio, has been in a coma for more than a year, shortly after he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for stealing a propaganda sign in North Korea, where he was a tourist.  (I assume that Warmbier stole the sign as a unique type of memorabilia, so he would always remember his once-in-a-lifetime trip.)

This week, the Warmbier family received a call from President Trump, which they termed “kind” of him.  On Wednesday, Secretary of State Tillerson said that America is now considering travel visa restrictions for North Korea.  (Before all of this, last month, a bill was introduced that would ban United States citizens from traveling to North Korea.)  The United Nations human rights division is also carrying out a thorough investigation into North Korea’s actions.

Trump Acknowledges Brain Injury Awareness Day

“The White House expressed support for brain injury advocates attending the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force’s (CBITF) Brain Injury Awareness Day on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 22.”  To accompany the day, President Trump penned a letter to everyone who participated in the event.  An overview of the letter shows that it largely is a list of facts about brain injury that is available to the public already.  However, there is no letter from an earlier president to compare it with, as the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force was only created in 2012.  (The only letter from President Obama that I can find is a letter applauding the creation of the Task Force.)

An overview of the letter, though, also shows that it is comprised of a ten-line paragraph focused on those who suffer a brain injury while serving in the military.  While I am definitely not dismissing those who suffer a brain injury while on the call of duty, the following paragraph that focuses on civilians with brain injury is only five sentences.  As for statistics, the Center of Disease Control estimates that 1.7 million Americans sustain a brain injury each year .  The Department of Defense estimates that about 17,500 soldiers suffered a brain injury last year.    Unfortunately, that means that the percentage of soldiers who are afflicted by a brain injury is much higher; however, the number of civilian Americans who suffer from brain injuries is still a higher number and much more present.  The focus on the military makes sense for Trump though, as military is one of the chief priorities of the Trump Presidency.

I am not sure what would have made this acknowledgement letter something that the brain injury community and all concerned Americans satisfied and, in fact, there is no singular answer to that.  Even if you disagree with the exact wording of the letter, the fact that the President is recognizing that brain injury is a very important and serious issue in America is a definite positive.

Trump Seeks to Shrink BRAIN (Funding)

A few weeks ago, President Trump submitted his proposed budget to Congress.  Related to health issues, President Trump’s budget:

Reduces the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) spending relative to the 2017 annualized
CR level by $5.8 billion to $25.9 billion. The Budget includes a major reorganization of NIH’s
Institutes and Centers to help focus resources on the highest priority research and training
activities, including: eliminating the Fogarty International Center; consolidating the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality within NIH; and other consolidations and structural changes
across NIH organizations and activities. The Budget also reduces administrative costs and
rebalance Federal contributions to research funding.

Read full text here

President Trump’s proposed budget would include a massive reduction of funding to the NIH and, though not specifically mentioned in the written, public-version of the budget, a reduction in funding for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN).  In response, a bipartisan group of Representatives, including  U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Tim Murphy (R-PA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) sent a letter to Rep. Cole and Rep. DeLauro, president and ranking member, respectively, of the Labor Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee urging a stay of current funding for the National Institute of Health’s BRAIN.  Pascrell is, of course, the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force.

(As reported last year, Presidents Obama’s 2017 budget increased the funding for BRAIN.)

Update: Tax Returns Could Trump Trump’s Philanthropy Claims

Donald Trump often speaks of all the donations he makes to various charities.  In January, Trump held a fundraiser for at least 40 veterans-focused nonprofits, which raised $4.5, $5.5, $5.6 or $6 million, depended on which member of his staff you ask and when you ask them.  Some of this money was donated by Trump himself, with the majority of the money coming from fundraiser attendees.  The Bob Woodruff Foundation received a check for $75,000, which Woodruff said, “We can put it to very good use to help our vets and their families.” Also, in May, “[Trump] gave $1 million to a nonprofit group helping veterans’ families.”

Recently, The Wall Street Journal looked into the history of donations from the self-proclaimed philanthropist to all charities throughout the years.  The title of the article that followed this investigation is “Trump promised millions to charity.  We found less than $10,000 over 7 years.”  (I think the title of this story explains the findings of the Journal, although it can neither be proven nor repudiated without Trump’s tax returns.)

Update: In March 2017, head of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, Pascrell, 163 Bipartisan Colleagues [Called] on Congress to Request Trump Tax Returns.  In actuality, the call for tax returns was only requested by two Republicans, Mark Sanford (R-SC) and Walter B. Jones (R-NC).  However, the request must be approved by the Senate Finance Committee and the Ways and Mean Committee, who are chaired by Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Kevin Brady (R-TX), respectively, to submit a formal request to the Secretary of the Treasury.