Help for Our Returning Servicemen and Servicewomen

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the Private First Class Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Zeldin, for his good work and his efforts on behalf of veterans who serve our country with great honor.

Roughly 15 million adults in the United States suffer from post- traumatic stress disorder, otherwise known as PTSD. The Department of Veterans Affairs indicates that between 15 and 30 percent of Vietnam veterans have had post-traumatic stress disorder in their lifetime; about 12 percent of Desert Storm veterans have had post-traumatic stress disorder; and between 11 and 20 percent of those who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom now also, sadly, have been subject to post-traumatic stress disorder in a given year.

These statistics are staggering, and, sadly, because of PTSD, many veterans have taken their lives. Our servicemen and -women sacrifice so much to protect our freedom, and we must do all we can to help them recover and prevent these tragic losses.

In 2013 the State of New York, under the leadership of Representative Zeldin and others, established the Dwyer program to support veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, otherwise referred to as TBI, by connecting veterans with other veterans who suffer through similar struggles. Over the years, the program has created a safe, confidential, and educational network for thousands of veterans to support each other on their transition to post-service life; and this is so important.

The Veterans Administration has found that one key part to help our veterans is to ensure that they feel connected to their communities and know that they are not alone in their struggles that they face and that they can come back and become a contributing member to their community as they were when they left. Expanding the Dwyer program nationwide, therefore, is crucial to save lives and help our veterans successfully transition to civilian life when they come home.

The San Joaquin Valley of California, which I am honored to represent, is home to nearly 30,000 veterans. Throughout my time in Congress, veterans and their families have been one of my top priorities. I have spent 17 years working side by side with the Veterans Administration assisting veterans with PTSD, creating a veterans' home, expanding veterans' healthcare, and providing a whole host of efforts that deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and pending claims for service-connected benefits. When we support them, we also must never forget about their families because it is both them and their families.

Next month on November 11 we are going to celebrate Veterans Day, and I can't think of a better thing that we can all do than to work on this legislation successfully and say thank you to those who have served our Nation. I am a proud cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation to provide our veterans with the support, healthcare, and treatment they have earned and, therefore, that they deserve. This nationwide expansion is long overdue.

I want to congratulate and thank my colleagues for their efforts. We can do more, and we must do more. Every veteran counts on us to do our part because they have done theirs.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. COSTA. I commend the gentleman and my colleagues on this effort. It is very important, and it is the right thing to do.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source