Durbin Chairs Hearing on Defense Department's Health Programs

Press Release

Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired a hearing of the Senate's Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense today on the Department of Defense's health programs. Following last week's shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, and President Obama's visit to the base today, the hearing focused heavily on the Department's funding for mental health programs and medical research to aid psychological health and rehabilitation. During the hearing, Durbin questioned Lieutenant General Patricia Horoho, Surgeon General of the Army, on the status of mental health care in the armed forces, and what more could be done.

"Today's hearing comes at a time when the well-being of our servicemembers is on every American's mind. One of the responses to the tragic shooting at Fort Hood on April 2nd has been to ask questions about what more we can do to support our troops as they deal with stressors from long overseas deployments, personal relationships, financial stress and more," Durbin said.

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