As the end of the current congressional session nears, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, signaled on Monday that he is going to push a bill from a Florida Republican and two Northern Democrats increasing access to mental health services for veterans.
With reports showing more than 20 veterans a day committing suicide, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Democrats U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz of Minnesota introduced the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act over the summer. The bill increases mental health-care access for veterans through launching a peer support and community outreach pilot program, creating a one-stop website for veterans needing health care and mandating annual evaluations and assessments of VA suicide programs. The legislation has the support of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America (IAVA).
The key to curbing the epidemic of veteran suicides is improving the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health-care available to our returning heroes, Miller said back in July when the bill was introduced. Over the past seven years, VA's mental health-care staff and budget have grown by nearly 40 percent, but the fact remains, veterans are still committing suicide at a frightening pace. This slow-motion national tragedy is likely to continue as long as the Department of Veterans Affairs sticks to its normal, business-as-usual approach of treating veterans where and how VA wants as opposed to where and how veterans want.
The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act will help create a greater accounting of available services and an enhanced community approach to delivering veterans suicide prevention and mental health-care treatment, which is why I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it, Miller added.
One veteran lost to suicide is one too many, said Walz. While the wars overseas may be ending, all too often our heroes return only to face a war of their own at home. While there is no bill that will completely end veteran suicide, this comprehensive, bipartisan measure is a step in the right direction. Im proud to have worked with Chairman Miller, Rep. Duckworth, a combat veteran herself, IAVA, and the VFW to introduce this bipartisan, important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this measure so that we can pass it quickly into law.
On Monday, Boehners staff announced the bill would be taken up this week. Introduced by Walz on July 10, it was sent to committee later that month. More than 130 co-sponsors have already signed on in the House, including Florida Republicans U.S. Reps. Miller, Gus Bilirakis, Ander Crenshaw, David Jolly, Tom Rooney and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Florida Democrats U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch, Alan Grayson, Alcee Hastings and Patrick Murphy.
The Senate version is being sponsored by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Walz appeared on Minnesota Public Radio last week and said he expected his bill to cross the finish line and be signed into law by President Barack Obama.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
