Trump Admin Responds to Buchanan Over Vets Suicides

Press Release

The Trump administration has assured Congressman Vern Buchanan that it is taking aggressive steps to curb the growing number of suicides among veterans and members of the armed forces.

Responding to a letter that Buchanan sent to President Trump in March over a recent breakdown in prevention efforts, the Veterans Affairs and Defense Departments pledged swift action to address the problem. In addition, President Trump's proposed budget submitted to Congress included a $70 million increase in funding for suicide prevention.

David Carroll, the director of the VA's Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, assured Buchanan that "suicide prevention is the top clinical priority for VA. We must approach this matter compassionately and clinically and discard the practices of the past that failed to address this national tragedy."

The suicide rate among veterans is about twice that of the general population, and has been rising among younger veterans who served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to press reports, last year the VA failed to spend 99 percent of the money it was allocated for suicide prevention outreach.

Assistant Secretary of Defense James Stewart told Buchanan that his department is working to "provide seamless access to mental health care, and suicide prevention resources for transitioning Service members during the year following discharge, separation, or retirement."

According to the VA, 20 veterans commit suicide every day, accounting for 18 percent of all U.S. suicides. Florida has the third-highest number of veterans in the country, with 1.5 million.

Buchanan said he appreciated the responses and the administration's commitment to veteran suicide prevention. "It is unacceptable that there have been tragic shortcomings by the VA to get veterans the treatment they need and deserve. The administration needs to follow through with meaningful action to support our nation's veterans."

Carroll told Buchanan: "VA's public health approach means doing things differently than we have in the past."

Last month, Buchanan urged President Trump to prioritize suicide prevention funding for veterans as he prepared to submit his Fiscal Year 2020 budget to Congress. Following Buchanan's letter, President Trump's March budget request called for a more than $400 million increase in mental health funding at the VA, including an additional $70 million for suicide prevention treatment and outreach.

Furthermore, the President's 2020 budget "prioritizes funding for suicide prevention" and states that the Administration will provide "essential resources for VA's suicide prevention programs and supports the expansion of key initiatives aimed at advancing VA's National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide"

Buchanan, who represents more than 88,000 veterans in Southwest Florida, has a strong record of fighting for military families.

Earlier this month, Buchanan demanded answers from the VA after reports of deplorable conditions and neglect at VA nursing homes across the nation. Buchanan's inquiry came after USA Today and The Boston Globe reported that inspectors found that veterans were harmed at VA nursing homes in 25 states. He also recently launched an inquiry with the Air Force on hazardous living condition at MacDill Air Force Base.

In January, Buchanan introduced the Veterans Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act, which requires the VA to study the link between addictive opioids and the alarmingly high rate of suicides among veterans.

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