Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 2578, which would increase funding in Veterans Treatment Courts.

Our Nation's heroes are returning home from over a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan with the invisible wounds that come with multiple deployments in military service to our Nation.

The signature wounds of these wars, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, have led to a rise in mental health issues among our veterans. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 11 to 20 percent of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year. Since 2005, the number of veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress has doubled.

Too often, these mental health issues can severely impact a veteran's life--from being able to keep a job, to drug abuse, to criminal activity in some circumstances. Instead of receiving the mental health services and support that they need, a growing number of veterans ends up being incarcerated in our justice system.

My simple amendment would increase funds for Veterans Treatment Courts by $2.5 million. Veterans Treatment Courts are designed to give veterans with mental health and substance abuse issues and who find themselves in trouble with the law an opportunity to get the help they need while avoiding jail time.

In my district, the Ventura County Veterans Treatment Court, which started as a pilot program in 2010, has helped dozens of veterans. Judge Colleen Toy White, one of the program's many champions in Ventura County, knows that the treatment courts reunite families and save lives.

Rather than arresting and jailing veterans for a few days or weeks and then putting them back on the streets with nothing changed in their lives, the Ventura County collaborative court connects veterans to needed treatment and services, which may include mental health care, drug and alcohol treatment, vocational rehabilitation, or other life skill services and programs.

The process begins with a guilty plea, an in-court meeting involving the veteran, his or her attorney, and a VA representative.

I was very impressed with the care that the court officers and volunteers extended to our veterans who found themselves before the court. A recent success for the Ventura County Veterans Treatment Court is a young man who was an Active Duty marine.

Before leaving the service in 2014, he had completed three combat tours in 12 years. He was arrested for two DUIs within 3 weeks. After 5 months of treatment, he still stands with his back against the wall rather than taking a seat in court. It is a common sign in combat veterans, but he is now getting evaluated by VA, is going to treatment, and has hope once again.

Since the Veterans Treatment Court program began in 2008 in Buffalo, New York, over 220 Veterans Treatment Courts have been established across the United States, and many more are being planned.

I believe we need to increase Federal resources to these critical programs nationwide, which is what my amendment seeks to accomplish. It is our obligation to ensure our veterans receive the appropriate attention to their needs and that we do whatever we can to help them transition to an independent civilian life.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support my amendment to provide veterans who are in trouble with the resources they need to help them secure a strong future.

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Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate very, very much the chairman accepting my amendment. I appreciate his support, and I know veterans across the country will as well.

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