Senator Harkin, Leader in Senate for Push to Reduce Veteran Suicides, Praises House Veterans Affairs Committee for Holding Truth Finding Hearing

Press Release

Senator Harkin, Leader in Senate for Push to Reduce Veteran Suicides, Praises House Veterans Affairs Committee for Holding Truth Finding Hearing

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today commended House Veterans Affairs Committee and its Chairman Bob Filner for continuing Congress' push to get answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on their veteran suicide prevention efforts or lack thereof. Harkin also urged the committee to take up crucial legislation he introduced with Congressman Leonard Boswell (IA-3) which would direct the VA to record the number of suicide deaths since 1997 to get an accurate reading of the true magnitude of this epidemic. Last month, CBS News revealed a disparity between what the VA was saying publicly and knowing privately about the numbers of veterans struggling with mental health issues.

"We have learned many things about the scope of what the VA has and has not done in curbing our veteran suicide epidemic including that the VA is covering up the real data. That's why we need to pass Congressman Boswell's and my bill to require the VA to tell us the truth about the past and from here on out," said Harkin.

Continued Harkin, "Congress is taking the right steps to investigate this situation by holding hearings - like we have done in the Senate and today in the House - and asking the tough questions. We must understand what went wrong here and what we need to do to help our veterans. It is shameful to lose those who have served our country to suicide simply because they do not have the support they need."

Harkin has introduced legislation to prevent suicide among active duty members of the military by directing the Department of Defense (DoD) to create a comprehensive suicide prevention program including annual training for soldiers, improved instruction for field medics and post deployment assistance.

The measure builds on Harkin's bill to prevent suicides amongst veterans - the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention law. Signed last year, the law directed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to integrate mental health services into veterans' primary care, and step up counseling and other mental health services for returning war veterans. The law is named after Joshua Omvig, a soldier from Grundy Center Iowa who took his own life after returning from Iraq. Congressman Boswell championed the measure in the House of Representatives.

Source