mr. chairman , i wish to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from ohio ( mr. regula )  .  as the gentleman knows , hhs at one time conducted a program on gulf war illnesses research .  and the gentleman also knows that , according to the congressionally chartered research advisory committee on gulf war veterans ' illnesses , there has never been a better time to invest in this research .  the potential causes have been narrowed , more diseases are being discovered , parallel benefits to national security are more urgently needed , and there is still no treatment for our ill veterans .  would the gentleman agree to work with the agency and me to encourage nih to establish its research portfolio in this area ?  