[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S1582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Dayton):
  S. 2351. A bill to provide additional funding for mental health care 
for veterans, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce legislation 
today to double the funding for veterans mental health care over the 
next 5 years.
  Our brave veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have faced 
unspeakable horrors. They have seen people killed and wounded, 
experienced the stress of urban warfare, and endured other traumatic 
events. These experiences undoubtedly take their toll. However, it can 
take months or even years for these events to impact a person's mental 
health.
  The need for this legislation is clear. Just today, the Washington 
Post reported that more than one in three soldiers and Marines who have 
served in Iraq later sought help for mental health problems. And we 
already know that the Veterans' Administration treated almost 19,000 
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, 
between 2002 and 2005. These numbers will continue to increase.
  This legislation will help ensure that the VA has the resources 
necessary to treat veterans with mental illness. First, it authorizes 
the VA to spend at least $3.6 billion in 2007--up from $2.8 billion in 
2006--and increases funding to $5.6 billion by 2011. Second, it 
requires an annual report about progress in implementing milestones 
from the VA Mental Health Strategic Plan.
  This bill is supported by AMVETS and Disabled American Veterans.
  It is imperative that we make a long-term commitment to provide 
mental health services to our veterans, who have sacrificed so much for 
us. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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