Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019
Floor Speech
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Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the underlying legislation, H.R. 5895, and urge adoption of my amendment to division C of the bill, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2019. This amendment would increase critically needed funding for suicide prevention and outreach programs as part of a broader mental health service for our veterans.
Veterans make up less than 9 percent of the U.S. population, yet veteran suicides account for 18 percent of all suicides in America. After adjusting for differences in age and sex, that puts the risk of suicide at 22 percent higher among veterans than for civilian adults, and the suicide rates for female veterans has risen more than 85 percent since 2001.
This tragic trend is even more egregious in my home State of Arizona. According to a recent study by Arizona State University Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety, Arizona veterans are nearly four times more likely to take their own lives than nonveterans.
This study shows that veterans in Arizona committed suicide at a rate of 55 per 100,000, compared to a rate of 14 per 100,000 for nonveterans in Arizona. In my home State, that means veterans are 391 percent more likely to commit suicide than nonveterans--391 percent.
Despite these stark and startling statistics, studies and data across the board consistently show that mental health services, and, specifically, suicide prevention for veteran populations, continue to go unmet. It is not enough to simply talk about studies and statistics and hope for the best. Lip service will not save lives.
For over 500,000 veterans that call Arizona home, this can be a life or death issue. Today and every day, on average, 20 veterans took their own lives--20 of my fellow warriors, 20 heroes, 20 loved ones, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, 20 vets who often survived combating the enemy in conflict, only to come home and take their own lives.
Mr. Chairman, this is unacceptable. When they raised their right hand and took an oath that they were willing to defend our freedoms with their lives, we have a covenant that we got their back, and we are going to give them everything that they need.
I urge my colleagues, please, to support my amendment and ensure funding for suicide prevention programs is increased and we save their lives.
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Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their commitment to our vets and to preventing suicide of these warriors, and I urge our colleagues to support the amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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