Urging Congress to Address Epidemic of Veteran Suicide

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I work to ensure that our service members receive all the resources they need when they volunteer to defend the United States.

But it is important that Congress not only provides them with support during their service, but in the years after they faithfully executed their duties as a member of the Armed Services. That is why I rise today to address the epidemic of veteran suicide in our country.

September is recognized as ``National Suicide Awareness Month'' and currently our veterans are suffering from a substantially higher rate of suicide than the general population. According to a 2014 report by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 20 veterans take their lives every day, a rate that is 150 percent greater than the general population. Although the VA has dedicated a significant amount of effort and resources to address veteran suicide, the fact remains that of the 20 average veteran suicides that occur on a daily basis, 14 were not utilizing VA services. As the 2016 VA report ``Suicide Among Veterans and Other Americans'' explains, up to 22 percent of Post-9/11 veterans have depression disorders, and up to 43 percent of all struggle with symptoms of mental health issues, such as drinking excessively, smoking, and/or sleeplessness. In addition, female veterans and those living in rural areas face a higher risk of suicide and we must address the barriers to care for these populations.

It is clear that we must extend more resources to help our veterans and prevent the unnecessary loss of life. The VA's 2016 study and upgrading crisis hotlines are steps in the right direction, fully addressing veteran suicide remains a complex issue that will require a multi-faceted approach. But their suffering does not have to continue and we must reverse the trend of veteran suicide.

Raising awareness about the issue begins in Congress, but every day citizens can also join in the effort year-round. Moreover, the effort to raise awareness about veteran suicide will have benefits across our society as a whole, contributing to the de-stigmatization of mental health issues. It is no secret that the stigma surrounding mental health prevents many veterans from obtaining care for these issues, forcing our country's heroes and heroines to suffer in silence. De- stigmatizing mental health care is critical to open up dialogue about a pervasive issue and provides opportunities for treatment and prevention of suicide. In addition, Congress must provide the VA with additional resources so that they better serve the female and rural veteran population with child care services and extensions of specialized care to remote, rural areas. We must continue to support innovation within the VA so that the agency will be more willing to embrace new approaches to treatment, such as canine service animals, art and outdoor therapies.

It goes without saying that we owe our veterans a tremendous debt for their service to our nation in defense of the freedoms we all enjoy. In return, we must care for them as a demonstration of our nation's core values. Raising awareness of the suicide epidemic and de-stigmatizing care throughout society, in addition to embracing innovative modes of therapy and furthering the VA's outreach will go a long way to honoring the service of veterans' to our nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in ensuring that we address the veteran suicide epidemic immediately.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source