This week the U.S. House passed a bill from a Florida Republican and two Northern Democrats increasing access to mental health services for veterans. On Tuesday, the House passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act on voice vote.
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 bill 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).
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, weighed in on the bill after the vote and praised Clay Hunt, an activist suffering from PTSD who helped his fellow veterans with mental health issues before killing himself.
The men and women who serve and protect this nation deserve timely, high-quality care from our VA health care system, especially in the area of mental health, Boehner said. Today, I had the honor of meeting Clay Hunts parents. Clay served his country in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning a Purple Heart. After returning home, he continued to selflessly help others, participating in humanitarian work and advocating to improve the lives of fellow veterans. Tragically, after suffering from PTSD, Clays life ended far too soon. The bill we passed today in his honor will help ensure that resources are available to help prevent the all-too-common tragedy of our veterans committing suicide while waiting for crucial care. I commend Clays parents and the Veterans Affairs Committee for their hard work and urge the Senate to take swift action on this bill.
Miller stressed the importance of the legislation.
Despite record mental health staffing and budget levels at the Department of Veterans Affairs, today's veterans are falling victim to the invisible wounds of war all too often, Miller said. An average of 18 to 22 veterans take their own lives each day -- a heartbreaking statistic that has remained unchanged for more than a decade. In passing the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, the House took an important step toward putting an end to this grim status quo.
Like Boehner, Miller urged the Senate to quickly act on it. The Senate version of the bill is being sponsored by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
The Clay Hunt SAV Act will ensure VAs mental health and suicide prevention efforts receive crucial independent, third-party oversight while creating a greater accounting of available services and fostering an enhanced community approach to delivering veterans suicide prevention and mental health care treatment, which is why I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join me in supporting it, Miller said.
On the other side of the aisle, Walz also urged the Senate to quickly act on the bill.
The Clay Hunt SAV Act represents a major step forward in the fight to end veteran suicide, Walz said. Im pleased the House took action and moved it forward today. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the same without delay. Lets work together to send this bipartisan bill to the president for his signature. The fight, however, does not end after this bill becomes law. There is still more that must be done to improve mental health care for our veterans. I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress, veterans, and veterans advocates to ensure that improving care for our warriors remains a top priority.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., a former member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, noted on Wednesday that Florida had one of the highest veteran suicide rates in the nation and called the bill a step in the right direction.
The growing prevalence of veteran suicide is a tragedy that must be stopped, said Buchanan, noting that 22 veterans commit suicide every day in the U.S. Every soldier returning from battle deserves access to the best mental health services our nation has to offer.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
