Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, on March 21, 2010, Deborah Johnson of Sherwood, AR, answered a call no parent should ever receive. Her son, 23-year-old Army Private Jeremy Andrew Johnson, was dead from a drug overdose.

Private Johnson was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after his deployment to Afghanistan. Deborah said she thought he was getting the proper care he needed during the transition out of the military, but when she received a goodbye text from him, she knew he needed more help.

The family made his commanders aware of his suicidal thoughts and Private Johnson was put on suicide watch. Three days later Deborah answered that horrible call.

Deborah shared her family's story with me in hopes that other families can be spared the anguish of losing a loved one to mental illness.

Deborah understands Congress has an opportunity to deliver help to veterans living with mental illness and prevent suicides by passing the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. This legislation would improve mental health care and suicide prevention resources for veterans by increasing access to mental health programs, providing incentives to recruit and retain psychiatrists to treat veterans and enhancing resources for members of the military transitioning to civilian life.

The VA estimates 22 veterans commit suicide every day. This trend is tragic and it is unacceptable. We need to provide the VA with the personnel, services, and proper tools to help veterans facing mental illness struggles. These invisible injuries are why we struggle to identify at-risk individuals.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, my colleagues and I are working to fully understand the scope of mental illness in our veteran community. In the meantime, we are paving the way for improvements.

Two weeks ago the Veterans' Affairs Committee met for its first order of business in the 114th Congress--approving the Clay Hunt SAV Act. I am proud to say the committee approved this bill with a bipartisan vote of 15 to 0. Our veterans deserve this care.

The VA needs to evaluate its mental health programs using metrics common to mental health practitioners to determine the success of its programs. This legislation will do that. It will help the VA more efficiently use the taxpayer funding it receives to support the programs most effective for our veterans.

The House approved this bill in January and I am confident the Senate will follow its lead. Deborah Johnson says she wishes Congress would have taken up legislation to improve mental health services years ago. As the President of the Arkansas chapter of Gold Star Mothers, Deborah hears similarities from other families who have suffered a loss because of suicide. She admits that a one-size-fits-all approach will not adequately address mental health struggles, but she is hopeful the Clay Hunt SAV Act will help prevent other families from suffering the pain hers lives with.

We owe it to Deborah and others like her who have lost loved ones to this battle, as well as servicemembers and veterans coping with mental health issues, to make this one of the first bills the 114th Congress sends to President Obama to sign.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source