Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Adam Lambert, a proud marine from Adel, Iowa.

Adam brought joy and laughter to his mother, Jill, and his father, Dean. He was a protective brother to his sisters, McKenzie and Anna.

Adam put himself before his country, his friends, his family, and his service.

During boot camp, Adam met a fellow marine named Daniel Harvey from Rhode Island. Together, these two became friends and stayed connected through their deployments and return to civilian life.

At 22 years old, sadly, Daniel died by suicide just a year after he left the Marines, and tragically, as was noted, Adam followed him less than a month later.

Unfortunately, Adam and Daniel's story all too often is becoming more common among our veterans. Veteran suicide is a casualty of war, one that demands immediate attention and action by this Congress.

The truth is that when our men and women in uniform leave the service, that transition to civilian life can be extremely difficult and often leaves servicemembers feeling very much left alone.

This is something I have witnessed firsthand as a 20-year combat veteran--as others have highlighted here from their military service-- and as a squadron commander in the Air Force. You saw airmen struggle with the realities of life when they transitioned from service in defense of this Nation.

The pressure of employment, lack of fellowship, substance abuse, and finding a purpose weigh on all of our veterans as they return to civilian life, and many of our brothers and sisters sadly do not make it.

We need to do more to ensure that veterans are aware of the resources available to them as they leave the Armed Forces.

In honor of Adam and Daniel, as well as countless other servicemembers, I introduced the Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act.

This bipartisan legislation led by veterans makes critical improvements to the Transition Assistance Program to provide servicemembers who are returning home with access to mental health resources, more frequent VA check-ins, and clear communication about available assistance programs as they navigate their return from the battlefield and before it is too late.

I thank all who have served our Nation for their service, and I strongly encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support and pass this critical legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina.

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