Reaching Out to Returning War Veterans

Statement

REACHING OUT TO RETURNING WAR VETERANS

As our brave men and women continue to serve overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iowans stand united in supporting our Armed Forces. Likewise we are united in our determination to see that our troops - and their families - receive the health care and other supports that they need and deserve. On that score, we got good news recently when the Senate passed the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, which I introduced earlier this year.

This bill - which is named for a soldier from Grundy Center, Iowa, who took his own life after returning from Iraq - directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to integrate mental health services into veterans' primary care, and to step up screening, counseling and other mental health services for returning war veterans.
The shocking rate of suicide among our men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan make it clear that we need to take action. The VA estimates that more than 5,000 veterans take their lives each year. Suicide rates are 35 percent higher for Iraq veterans than for the general population. And the Department of Defense recently reported that the Army is now seeing the highest rate of suicide since the Vietnam War.

This is a genuine crisis, and it requires an urgent, stepped-up response from the VA, which is exactly the purpose of my bill. Congressman Leonard Boswell introduced a companion version of the Joshua Omvig Act in the House and did an outstanding job garnering support for the bill. The House passed Joshua Omvig Act by a vote of 423 to zero. In early August, with strong bipartisan support, I was on the verge of passing the bill in the Senate.

But then we hit an unexpected snag. Out of the blue, a Senator placed a hold on this bill to prevent the Senate from voting on it. Over the next few months, I worked tirelessly to move this legislation forward so that we could deliver the crucial help our veterans need. Thankfully, the hold was lifted on September 27 and the Senate promptly and unanimously passed the Joshua Omvig Act on September 28.

Earlier this year, Joshua's parents traveled to Washington to testify before the Senate Veterans Affairs committee about why this bill is so vitally important. I will never forget Mr. Omvig's testimony. He said: "The day after Josh's suicide, the Grundy Center police department and fire department had a time where a professional counselor was brought in to help them cope and deal with what happened that day. Do we as a nation take the same measures for our troops who have served for us for months in a combat area? Are we providing our military men and women the appropriate services to help them assimilate to civilian life? Are we providing them with what they need to survive the peace? Ellen and I have to say ‘No,' not at this time. We can and must do more!"
With passage of the Johsua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, we are honoring the sacred trust that exists between our brave soldiers and the American public. No longer will soldiers be left to fight their own private wars alone - private wars that far too many have lost. With the Johsua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, Congress has taken action to ensure that America's heroes have the support they need to successfully resume their lives at home with families.

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