The Cuban American Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, he joined with colleague Susan Collins (Maine) in reintroducing a bipartisan effort in support of U.S. officials who have suffered brain injuries from probable acoustic attacks.
The Aid to American Victims Affected by Neurological Attacks Act (HAVANA) would authorize additional compensation for injured persons and would be applicable to employees of the Department of State or the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) at the discretion of the head of that entity. .
This legislation would also require the CIA and the State Department to report to Congress on how this authority is being used and if additional legislative or administrative action is required.
The “Havana Syndrome” is the term given to a disease that first appeared among more than 40 employees of the United States Embassy in Havana, as of 2016. Since then, at least a dozen US diplomats at the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China, have suffered symptoms “consistent with the effects of radio frequency energy directed.
According to the press, there have been more than 130 cases in total among US personnel, including cases on US soil. The most recurrent symptoms associated with the disease are dizziness, ringing in the ears, visual problems, vertigo, cognitive difficulties, and many affected staff members continue to suffer from health problems years later.
Joining Rubio and Collins in reintroducing this bipartisan bill are Senators Mark Warner (D-Virginia), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), Dianne Feinstein (D-California ), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Angus King (independent of Maine) and Jim Risch (R-Indiana).
Rubio is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“I am proud to reintroduce this legislation to provide the CIA Director and Secretary of State with the necessary authorities to adequately assist American personnel who have endured these attacks while serving our nation,” Rubio said.
“There is no doubt that the victims of the Havana Syndrome, who have suffered brain injuries, should receive adequate care and compensation,” added the Florida senator.
The Republican for Maine explained that “the injuries suffered by many of the victims are important and change their lives. To make matters worse, some of the victims did not receive the financial and medical support they should have expected from their government when they first reported their injuries. This is a scandalous failure on the part of our government ”.
“I have spoken with CIA Director Burns about these attacks and am encouraged by the commitments he and others have made with the Senate Intelligence Committee to care for the victims and get to the bottom of this problem. We need a whole-of-government approach to identifying the adversary that is targeting American personnel. ” Collins assured.
The senator considered that public servants who work in our embassies and consulates abroad make many personal sacrifices to represent the interests of the United States abroad. They deserve our strong support when they are harmed in the line of duty, just as we care for wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
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