Support the Resiliency of Our Nation's Great Veterans Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6411, as amended, the Support The Resiliency of Our Nation's Great, STRONG, Veterans Act.

This bill would improve VA's mental health and suicide prevention strategies by doing a number of things. It would expand the Vet Center workforce, and it would also allow student veterans the opportunity to seek counseling at Vet Centers during what can be yet another stressful time in that period of transitioning into civilian life.

Additionally, the bill would allow family members of veterans who died by suicide to seek bereavement counseling at Vet Centers. This support, from counselors who know veterans and the challenges that their families often face, would be a valuable resource for those in mourning.

This bill would expand training, scholarship, and loan repayment programs for the VA mental health providers. It would direct a series of actions to improve the Veterans Crisis Line, including enhanced training and oversight. It would codify an existing VA program that reaches out to veterans in their first year out of the military to provide them with information about relevant resources.

This bill would require VA to conduct numerous studies with the goals of improving care for veterans with sleep disorders, refining inpatient care for veterans struggling with addiction, identifying treatments for veterans suffering from both mental health and substance use disorders, and assessing the possible secondary impacts PTSD and depression may have on veterans' families.

This bill is the product of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations between the Veterans Affairs' Committee leaders. I thank Chairman Takano for working with me to introduce this bill and move it forward today.

I thank Senate colleagues Chairman Tester and Ranking Member Moran for their work on this bill.

This bill contains many provisions that were in standalone bills introduced by many of our other Members, and I recognize them today. I send a particular thank-you to Dr. Murphy, Congressman Rouzer, and to two of my fellow committee members, veterans themselves, Dr. Miller- Meeks and Congressman Ellzey. Each of them spearheaded vital pieces of this legislation that will help veterans and their families thrive for years to come.

I encourage any veteran listening to this who is struggling and in need of support to contact the veterans hotline by calling 1-800-273- 8825 and pressing 1. Once again, that is 1-800-273-8825 and pressing 1. Or you can also get there by texting 838255. That is 838255. Or you can actually visit the Veterans Crisis Line at veteranscrisisline.net, all one word.

There is absolutely no shame in asking for help if you need it.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy), my good friend.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in enthusiastic support of H.R. 6411, the Support The Resiliency of Our Nation's Great Veterans Act, commonly known as the STRONG Act.

I am proud that this legislation includes language from my bill, H.R. 4233, the Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act. I introduced this bill alongside Ranking Member Bost to aid veteran transition back to civilian life, especially for those looking to further their education.

Far too often, we see the tragedy of our selfless defenders losing their battle to mental health issues when returning from service. The intention of our provision is to aid more of our veterans who are readjusting to civilian lives by providing them with overdue access to vital mental health resources.

This is especially personal to my district, as I represent 89,000 veterans, many of whom are or will be receiving benefits via the Post- 9/11 GI Bill.

Regardless of which side of the aisle we sit on, we have an obligation to make sure that our counseling services are more accessible for our veterans, and I am glad that the STRONG Act focuses on this obligation.

My provision would expand counseling and mental health support to student veterans through the VA's readjustment counseling centers, also known as Vet Centers. These centers provide individual, group, marriage, and family counseling, as well as peer support opportunities for Active-Duty servicemembers, veterans, members of the National Guard and Reserve, and certain military family members. Vet Centers are community based, confidential, and free.

A recent RAND study shows that 20 percent of veterans on the GI Bill face feelings of depression from PTSD. That 20 percent amounts to over 170,000 veterans, double the number of veterans in my district.

Currently, the option of student veterans using school psychologists, in actuality, provides very little relief for our veterans. The director of policy and advocacy for the National Association of School Psychologists has reported that the national ratio of school psychologists to students is anywhere from 1 to 2,000 to 1 to 5,000.

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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. I have heard personal stories from student veterans who have had to wait weeks or even months for a mental health appointment if their mental health crisis was not deemed in need of ``immediate attention.'' Unfortunately, many of our veterans do not have the luxury of weeks or months to see a mental health provider.

In addition, many of our universities' mental health counselors are actually not licensed professionals but, instead, graduate or doctoral students. Our veterans deserve better than this. They deserve the best healthcare from qualified professionals.

Helping students succeed in school and their civilian lives is one of the most important ways we can thank them for their service.

Tragically, the suicide rate among our veterans now is estimated to be anywhere from 17 to 22 suicides a day. Forty-six percent of military students have reported suicidal thoughts, compared with only 6 percent of their nonmilitary peers.

If we can provide mental health services that are able to assist just a single veteran who is contemplating suicide to choose to live, I believe it is our sworn duty to do so. We have that opportunity now.

I am proud to support the STRONG Veterans Act, and I am very grateful to Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost for including my bill, the Student Veterans Counseling Center Eligibility Act. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6411 in support of our Nation's veterans.

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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).

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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

First off, I say thank you to all the people who have worked on this important piece of legislation for the support that it is has received.

The important thing is that we get the care, treatment, and support for all the veterans who are considering suicide and the families who suffer from the fact that they have done it.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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