Issue Position: Defense and Mental Health

Issue Position

Issue Position: Defense and Mental Health

As one of the acknowledged thought leaders on mental health issues in the nation, Congressman Kennedy also introduced legislation that would help bolster our nation's psychological resiliency against terrorist attacks.

Our country has always been committed to sending our troops into battle with the best equipment possible. And our country has worked and invested to ensure our military receives the best possible training. But Kennedy believes we need to take further steps to better protect their minds and mental well-being of our troops against the shattering experience of war. As a result, Kennedy has drawn upon his years of experience and expertise in the area of mental health to introduce the "Psychological Kevlar Act of 2006", legislation that acknowledges and addresses the psychological effects that the stresses of war can have on our troops.

Veterans

Our nation's veterans deserve our utmost respect and support. Congressman Kennedy has long fought to appropriately honor those men and women who have served their country bravely over the years.

He is a strong supporter of legislation to ensure that adequate funding is available for veteran's health care, and has fought in the Appropriations Committee to increase this funding on a yearly basis. He also supports legislation that would end the unfair practice of reducing a veteran's military retired pay if they also receive disability benefits. Kennedy has championed improvements in the Survivor's Benefit Plan.

Furthermore, operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will create new demands on our veterans' care system. Kennedy has supported increased funding to provide for soldiers returning from operations overseas. He has particularly worked on improving the mental health resources available to veterans. In Washington, Congressman Kennedy will continue fighting to protect the needs of our nation's veterans.

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