Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1585, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008

Floor Speech

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1585, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (House of Representatives - May 16, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. GIFFORDS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight a very important issue facing our Nation that is addressed in this legislation, mental health care for our troops. The mental health implications of extended and repeated combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan are now only beginning to be understood.

Among Vietnam-era veterans, the lifetime rate of PTSD, sometimes taking decades to appear, is 30 percent. According to the VA, the current rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is already 20 percent. The mental health needs of the generation of combat veterans that we are creating will face this country for decades to come.

We must realize that the nature and scope of warfare has changed, bringing a new level of stress to combat deployments that is fundamentally new. Even in the Green Zone of Baghdad soldiers are repeatedly attacked and regularly attacked.

The troops must cope with ongoing severe stress for months to come. Experts tell us that extended periods of stress like this, with no way to alleviate it, create the conditions where PTSD is most likely to develop.

According to a recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine, 95 percent of troops in Army and Marine units report having been shot at during their deployment, and 95 percent report seeing dead bodies, 89 percent report being ambushed or attacked. One in five is currently suffering from depression, anxiety or stress while deployed. Twenty percent are now facing marital problems, including divorce or legal separation from their spouse. The after-effect of these extended and highly stressful combat deployments will continue to affect their families, the military and our communities for many, many years to come.

I believe that we need to shift towards preventive care. What we know from our experience is that PTSD not being treated can start a downward tragic cycle of addiction, isolation and despair. This bill improves a mental health training for military case managers working with outpatient facilities like Walter Reed so they can identify problems early.

This way we can help provide treatment before returning servicemen are discharged and left to fend for themselves. This bill also creates critical new funding to best identify practices. Mental health is critical for our troops, and I am very interested in passing this legislation.

* [Begin Insert]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight a very important issue facing this country that is addressed in this legislation: mental health care for our troops. The mental health implications of extended, and repeated combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan are now only beginning to be understood.

Among Vietnam-era veterans, the lifetime rate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, sometimes taking decades to appear, is about 30 percent. According to the VA, the current rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is already 20 percent.

The mental health needs of the generation of combat veterans that we are creating will face this country for decades to come. We must realize that the nature and scope of warfare has changed, bringing a level of stress to combat deployments that is fundamentally new.

Even the Green Zone in Baghdad is attacked regularly, and the lives of troops stationed there are literally at risk every single day of their deployments. The troops must cope with ongoing, severe stress for months on end. Experts tell us that extended periods of stress like this, with no way to alleviate it, create the conditions where PTSD is most likely to develop.

According to a recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine, 95 percent of troops in Army and Marine units report having been shot at during their deployment, and 95 percent report seeing dead bodies. Eighty-nine percent reported being ambushed or attacked.

One in five is suffering from depression, anxiety or stress while deployed. Twenty percent face marital problems including divorce or legal separation from their spouse.

The after-effect of extended and highly stressful combat deployments continues to affect military communities and families long after the service member has returned home.

I believe the most important shift is to move toward preventative care. What we know from decades of experience is that PTSD, left untreated, can begin a tragic downward spiral of addiction, isolation and despair.

This bill improves the mental health training for military case managers working with outpatients at facilities like Walter Reed, so they can identify potential problems early. This way, we can help provide treatment before returning servicemen are discharged and left to fend for themselves.

It authorizes critical new funding to identify best practices and build up our clinical knowledge of PTSD and how best to treat it. And it creates a mechanism to improve the transition from the DoD health system into the VA system, so that service members will not fall through the cracks.

Not every American chooses to wear the uniform and serve this country. Not every family stays up lonely nights and waits for a father, husband, mother, wife, or child to come home. Not everyone hears the call of their country and says `send me.' But for those who do, we owe it to be there for them when they get back.

I will be proud to vote for this legislation that supports our troops and brings a new focus on critical mental health issues.

* [End Insert]

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source