Guard and Reserve Gi Bill Parity Act of 2021

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for my bipartisan amendment, which will require the VA to notify transitioning servicemembers of the services for which they are personally eligible.

Notification must include information about mental healthcare, community care under the MISSION Act, and care related to military sexual trauma.

Troubling reports have found that many transitioning veterans are not aware of the health benefits available to them through the VA. A recent Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General report found that the DOD has failed to provide proper mental health screening and care for transitioning veterans; in part, because so many veterans do not understand what care is available to them.

The transition away from active service can be a tumultuous time during which many new veterans face mental health issues. Left unaddressed, these issues can be debilitating and deadly.

My father served as a psychiatrist in the Air Force during the Vietnam era. He witnessed firsthand the need for proper and timely mental healthcare among veterans. But mental health resources at the VA can only be helpful to those who know of their existence.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans, and they deserve gold- standard and seamless access to the benefits that they have earned.

My amendment will help new veterans understand and access the care to which they are entitled.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon, Congressman Bowman, and Congresswoman Moore for joining me in offering this amendment.

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Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his support.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the chairman of Veterans' Affairs Committee.

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Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, this amendment will help new veterans understand the specific benefits that they have and that they have earned through their service. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of my amendment, the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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