Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008 -- Continued

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008--Continued -- (Senate - October 02, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, yesterday, as part of the managers' package, the Senate approved an amendment that I offered to the Defense authorization bill. That amendment would establish a pilot program at the Department of Defense to deal with a very important problem. That problem is that all across our country, men and women are returning home from the war in Iraq, from the war in Afghanistan, they are coming home to big cities, small towns, and rural communities, and they and their families, in many cases, are hurting. These are soldiers and military family members who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, who are suffering from traumatic brain injury, who are suffering from depression, and who are watching their marriages and their families coming apart. They are suffering nightmares, they are suffering panic attacks and sometimes uncontrollable anger and various physical symptoms. Because of the stigma, many of these brave soldiers do not come forward for help, and others, where the military infrastructure is not strong, simply don't know where to turn. They are hurting, but they don't know how to get help. In my view, we have a moral responsibility to reach out to these soldiers and their families and to help them.

The program, approved by unanimous consent yesterday, would create a pilot program at the Department of Defense. Under this pilot, funds would be provided to adjutant generals to conduct person-to-person outreach to soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. In other words, the heart of this program is outreach quality. We can't be successful in dealing with PTSD if soldiers do not get involved in the program, if they are not involved in counseling. I fear very much that unless we are aggressive in our outreach efforts, especially in rural areas, especially with the National Guard's people, we are going to see folks who don't know where to turn.

These trained outreach personnel will be meeting with the soldiers and their families. They will be able to make sure the soldiers and their families know about the help that is available to them. In other words, it doesn't matter how much help we have if our soldiers don't know where to turn and what is available. These outreach workers would make sure that America's heroes and our military families don't fall through the cracks.

As I mentioned, this body unanimously approved this new pilot as part of yesterday's Defense authorization bill. I thank the Members for their support. That pilot program amendment was cosponsored by Senators SUNUNU, KERRY, HARKIN, and BROWN. I also point out that this amendment is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States.

My amendment today, cosponsored by Senator Leahy, is to make sure the commitment we made yesterday to returning servicemembers and their families is a real commitment backed by the necessary resources. This amendment would provide $10 million to carry out the pilot program for State-based outreach programs to assist servicemembers and their families created by the Sanders-Sununu-Kerry-Harkin-Brown amendment No. 2905 to the Defense authorization bill. This amendment is fully offset.

Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source