[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H2772-H2778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              JOSHUA OMVIG VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 327) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop 
and implement a comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence 
of suicide among veterans, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 327

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Joshua Omvig Veterans 
     Suicide Prevention Act''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic 
     stress disorder (in this section referred to as ``PTSD'') is 
     a serious problem; and
       (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into 
     consideration the special needs of veterans suffering from 
     PTSD and the special needs of elderly veterans who are at 
     high risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide 
     in developing and implementing the comprehensive program 
     under this Act.

     SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION AMONG 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Comprehensive program for suicide prevention among 
     veterans.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new section:

[[Page H2773]]

     ``Sec. 1720F. Comprehensive program for suicide prevention 
       among veterans

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall develop and carry 
     out a comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence 
     of suicide among veterans incorporating the components 
     described in this section.
       ``(b) Staff Education.--In carrying out the comprehensive 
     program under this section, the Secretary shall provide for 
     mandatory training for appropriate staff and contractors 
     (including all medical personnel) of the Department who 
     interact with veterans. This training shall cover information 
     appropriate to the duties being performed by such staff and 
     contractors. The training shall include information on--
       ``(1) recognizing risk factors for suicide;
       ``(2) proper protocols for responding to crisis situations 
     involving veterans who may be at high risk for suicide; and
       ``(3) best practices for suicide prevention.
       ``(c) Screening of Veterans Receiving Medical Care.--In 
     carrying out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall 
     provide for screening of veterans who receive medical care at 
     a Department medical facility (including a center established 
     under section 1712A of this title) for risk factors for 
     suicide.
       ``(d) Tracking of Veterans.--In carrying out the 
     comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for 
     appropriate tracking of veterans.
       ``(e) Counseling and Treatment of Veterans.--In carrying 
     out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide 
     for referral of veterans at risk for suicide for appropriate 
     counseling and treatment.
       ``(f) Designation of Suicide Prevention Counselors.--In 
     carrying out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall 
     designate a suicide prevention counselor at each Department 
     medical facility other than centers established under section 
     1712A of this title. Each counselor shall work with local 
     emergency rooms, police departments, mental health 
     organizations, and veterans service organizations to engage 
     in outreach to veterans and improve the coordination of 
     mental health care to veterans.
       ``(g) Best Practices Research.--In carrying out the 
     comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for 
     research on best practices for suicide prevention among 
     veterans. Research shall be conducted under this subsection 
     in consultation with the heads of the following entities:
       ``(1) The Department of Health and Human Services.
       ``(2) The National Institute of Mental Health.
       ``(3) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
     Administration.
       ``(4) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
       ``(h) Sexual Trauma Research.--In carrying out the 
     comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for 
     research on mental health care for veterans who have 
     experienced sexual trauma while in military service. The 
     research design shall include consideration of veterans of a 
     reserve component.
       ``(i) 24-Hour Mental Health Care.--In carrying out the 
     comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for mental 
     health care availability to veterans on a 24-hour basis.
       ``(j) Hotline.--In carrying out the comprehensive program, 
     the Secretary may provide for a toll-free hotline for 
     veterans to be staffed by appropriately trained mental health 
     personnel and available at all times.
       ``(k) Outreach and Education for Veterans and Families.--In 
     carrying out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall 
     provide for outreach to and education for veterans and the 
     families of veterans, with special emphasis on providing 
     information to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
     Operation Enduring Freedom and the families of such veterans. 
     Education to promote mental health shall include information 
     designed to--
       ``(1) remove the stigma associated with mental illness;
       ``(2) encourage veterans to seek treatment and assistance 
     for mental illness;
       ``(3) promote skills for coping with mental illness; and
       ``(4) help families of veterans with--
       ``(A) understanding issues arising from the readjustment of 
     veterans to civilian life;
       ``(B) identifying signs and symptoms of mental illness; and
       ``(C) encouraging veterans to seek assistance for mental 
     illness.
       ``(l) Peer Support Counseling Program.--(1) In carrying out 
     the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall establish and 
     carry out a peer support counseling program, under which 
     veterans shall be permitted to volunteer as peer counselors--
       ``(A) to assist other veterans with issues related to 
     mental health and readjustment; and
       ``(B) to conduct outreach to veterans and the families of 
     veterans.
       ``(2) In carrying out the peer support counseling program 
     under this subsection, the Secretary shall provide adequate 
     training for peer counselors.
       ``(m) Other Components.--In carrying out the comprehensive 
     program, the Secretary may provide for other actions to 
     reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans that the 
     Secretary deems appropriate.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new item:

``1720F. Comprehensive program for suicide prevention among 
              veterans.''.

       (b) Report to Congress.--
       (1) Report required.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the 
     comprehensive program under section 1720A of title 38, United 
     States Code, as added by subsection (a).
       (2) Contents of report.--The report shall contain the 
     following:
       (A) Information on the status of the implementation of such 
     program.
       (B) Information on the time line and costs for complete 
     implementation of the program within two years.
       (C) A plan for additional programs and activities designed 
     to reduce the occurrence of suicide among veterans.
       (D) Recommendations for further legislation or 
     administrative action that the Secretary considers 
     appropriate to improve suicide prevention programs within the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 327, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, today we have the first bills that are 
coming out of the Veterans Committee this year. We are going to have an 
ambitious agenda for our committee, an agenda that in fact is demanded 
by the American people.
  We have seen in the last few weeks enormous attention paid to the 
treatment, or lack thereof, that is given to our Nation's veterans, 
whether they are from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the first Persian 
Gulf War or now from Iraq and Afghanistan.
  We have seen the Washington Post articles which detailed the problems 
at Walter Reed. We have seen news magazines have cover stories on how 
veterans are falling through the cracks of the system. We have seen on 
ABC News, Bob Woodruff, do a very moving piece on how brain injuries 
are treated, or perhaps not treated. We have seen stories in the press 
of homeless, already, from veterans of Iraq.
  The American people understand that we are not treating our veterans 
the way we claim to be. The American people, I think, understand that 
the treatment of our warriors is a part of the cost of war, and we 
simply have to provide for those brave men and women who have fought 
for our Nation's freedom.
  So we have an ambitious agenda in front of us, Mr. Speaker. These 
first items today address some specific areas that demand attention. I 
thank the Members from across the aisle for their support not only of 
these bills, but I think for the agenda that we are going to pursue in 
the future.
  And it is time, Mr. Speaker, that we say as a Congress and as a 
Nation, no matter where we are on this war in Iraq, that when those 
brave young men and women come back we are going to treat them with all 
the love and respect and honor and care that American veterans should 
have. And we make that pledge on both sides of the aisle.
  As I said, one of the top priorities of our committee is to address 
the needs of returning servicemembers from Iraq and Afghanistan, 
especially in the areas of mental health.

                              {time}  1520

  I believe that if we send our citizens off to war, we have to address 
their health care needs when they return. We cannot say, support our 
troops, support our troops, support our troops, and then forget them 
when they come home.
  It turns out, I think unsurprisingly, that veterans suffer a higher 
risk of suicide than the general population. The stress of combat 
combined with the stigma that exists for servicemembers and veterans 
seeking mental health care can have disastrous consequences. It has 
already occurred for returning veterans, maybe a couple

[[Page H2774]]

hundred. We must do everything possible to improve the VA's mental 
health services and its ability to detect and help those veterans most 
at risk.
  This bill, H.R. 327, is an important step in the right direction. It 
comes to us from our colleague from Iowa (Mr. Boswell), who has taken 
the tragedy from a family in Iowa and turned it into constructive 
measures so that tragedy will not be repeated in other parts of the 
Nation. And we thank Mr. Boswell and his colleague, Mr. Braley from 
Iowa, for bringing this to our attention.
  This bill will provide important tools to the Veterans Administration 
to assist the Department in strengthening suicide prevention, 
education, and awareness programs within the VA by mandating a 
comprehensive program for suicide prevention among veterans.
  Again, I thank Mr. Boswell for introducing this bill. I thank Mr. 
Miller and his colleagues for supporting it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity first to thank the chairman 
of the Subcommittee on Health, Mr. Michaud; as well as the chairman of 
the full committee, Mr. Filner; and Ranking Member Mr. Buyer for their 
leadership in bringing this legislation timely to the floor.
  The heavy burden of some of our servicemembers that they bear in 
coping with the aftermath of combat is tragically evident in the death 
of Army Specialist Joshua Lee Omvig. Specialist Omvig was a member of 
the U.S. Army Reserve 339th Military Police Company from Davenport, 
Iowa. He took his life in 2005 after returning from a deployment to 
Iraq. H.R. 327 is aptly named to remember this brave young man.
  VA must be vigilant with a proactive mental health strategy to help 
our veterans and returning servicemembers readjust to stateside duty 
after their exposure to combat. H.R. 327 would require VA to implement 
a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among our 
veterans. Specific steps included in this bill are: a campaign to 
reduce stigma surrounding seeking help or training for VA staff in 
suicide prevention and education; the creation of peer counselors to 
understand risk factors and to assist families during the readjustment 
process; and a 24-hour counseling line so that veterans, especially 
those in rural areas, could seek help whenever they need it.
  VA is already fulfilling many of the requirements of H.R. 327. The 
Secretary of VA developed and has started to implement a similar 
suicide prevention strategy that is based on public health and clinical 
models with activities both in VA facilities and within local 
communities. For example, VA is fulfilling requirements of H.R. 327 by 
providing training for both clinical and nonclinical staff on how to 
assess and respond to patients that they may come in contact with that 
are at risk for suicide. And by April 1, the Department plans to have 
in place a Suicide Prevention Coordinator within each VA medical 
center.
  The VA's Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research and Evaluation 
Center will be designated to guide prevention strategies and maintain 
data on suicide rates and risk factors. VA is also currently working to 
create a suicide prevention hotline by the end of this calendar year.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 327. This 
legislation does put the full force of legal authority behind a 
comprehensive program to ensure that VA is taking all appropriate 
measures to prevent suicide among our Nation's veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the chairman of our 
Subcommittee on Health, the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud).
  Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman very much for 
yielding, and I want to thank him for his leadership as we deal with 
Veterans' Affairs issues in this upcoming session. I also want to thank 
the ranking member, Mr. Miller, for all his hard work on this 
legislation. I look forward to working with him over the next 2 years 
as we move forward with an aggressive Veterans' Affairs agenda.
  I rise today in strong support of this important legislation.
  One veteran taking their life is tragic. Joshua Omvig was one such 
veteran, and, sadly, he is not alone. There have been others such as 
Jonathan Schulze from Minnesota and many more, and that is unfortunate.
  We must do everything we can to provide our veterans and their 
families with the support and care that they need to prevent more from 
going down the same tragic path to committing suicide.
  H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, would 
assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in furthering its effort to 
identify veterans at risk of suicide.
  Our returning servicemembers are under great strain and stress. H.R. 
327 would improve early detection and intervention, provide access to 
mental health services for veterans who are in crisis, and help prevent 
the unnecessary deaths of the men and women who have served our Nation 
so greatly.
  A recent study indicated that nearly one-third of OEF/OIF veterans 
seen at the VA facilities receive mental health and/or psychosocial 
diagnoses and that one in five have PTSD.
  These veterans are at risk. According to reports, one in five 
suicides in this country is a veteran, even though veterans make up 
only 10 percent of our general population.
  Joshua Omvig was one such veteran. Sadly, this legislation cannot 
help him, but this bill can help other returning servicemembers.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 327. And, in closing, I also 
want to thank Congressman Boswell for his leadership in this area. He 
has been pushing this bill for the last couple of years. He is a true 
leader, an individual who cares for our veterans, and I want to thank 
Mr. Boswell for bringing this legislation forward.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to 
yield 3 minutes to a valiant supporter of our veterans, a retired 
Marine colonel and a member of the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Kline.
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 327, the Joshua 
Omvig Suicide Prevention Act.
  I would like to thank my friend, the gentleman from Iowa, for 
bringing this important piece of legislation to the floor. This bill 
bears the name of a constituent of Mr. Boswell's, Joshua Omvig, who 
tragically took his life.
  I wish that I could stand here today and say that Joshua was the last 
soldier, sailor, airman, or marine to fall through the cracks, the last 
young life to end prematurely because the system was unwilling or 
unable to assist them. But if that were true, the gentleman would not 
have had to introduce this bill, and we would not be here today 
discussing it.
  In January of this year, this tragedy repeated itself when Jonathan 
Schulze, a young marine from my district who had served honorably in 
Iraq, took his life after seeking assistance from two VA medical 
facilities in Minnesota. The loss of such a promising young life has 
sparked both sadness and outrage throughout Minnesota and the Nation; 
outrage not only at the loss of a young life, but because the VA system 
in which he was enrolled had apparently and tragically failed him.
  In the months since Jonathan's unnecessary death, the VA has launched 
two investigations to find out why this marine did not receive the care 
he so desperately needed. An initial medical inspector's investigation 
was inconclusive, but it is my sincere hope that the ongoing VA 
Inspector General's investigation will fully explain the circumstances 
that led to his death.
  Along with the full accounting of the VA's action in Jonathan 
Schulze's case, I am hopeful the passage of this bill today will 
provide the professionals of the VA medical system with the tools 
necessary to prevent the tragic deaths of young veterans like Joshua 
and Jonathan.
  Once again, Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Iowa for 
introducing this vital legislation. I urge my colleagues, all of them, 
to support H.R. 327.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hare), who has picked up the

[[Page H2775]]

torch from the legendary defender of veterans' rights, Mr. Lane Evans, 
and is carrying that torch with distinction.

                              {time}  1530

  Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 327, 
the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. I want to thank 
Congressman Boswell for introducing this important piece of legislation 
and Chairman Filner for moving it through the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee. I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to the 
family of Joshua, both for their tireless efforts to pass this 
legislation and for their son's service to our country.
  Mr. Speaker, too many servicemembers return from war with invisible 
wounds. It is estimated that almost 1,000 veterans receiving care from 
the Department of Veterans Affairs commit suicide each year. This is a 
symptom of a larger problem.
  A July 2004 Army study reported that one in six combat troops will 
suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder shortly after combat. Sadly, 
this is only a measure of the number of veterans who receive the help 
that they need. Many veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and 
other mental problems don't seek assistance.
  This bill strengthens cooperation between the U.S. Department of 
Defense and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide better 
and more accessible mental health care for all of our veterans. This 
bill also creates a program to regularly screen and monitor all 
veterans for risk factors of suicide, and establishes a 24-hour 
counseling line so that veterans in rural and remote areas can receive 
the help whenever they need it.
  Additionally, this legislation offers training in suicide prevention 
to medical personnel and support staff at our VA hospitals so they can 
identify veterans at risk. This bill also provides training and 
services to the families, helping them understand risk factors and 
working with them on the readjustment process.
  Although our men and women come home safely, the war isn't over for 
many of them. Often the physical wounds of combat are repaired but the 
psychological scars can haunt a person for a lifetime.
  I am proud to have had the opportunity to work on this legislation in 
the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and I will continue to do what I can 
to assure that we honor the sacrifices of our Nation's veterans.
  I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for the Joshua Omvig 
Veterans Suicide Prevention Act.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad), a strong supporter of veterans 
issues.
  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, my friend from 
Florida, for yielding, and also thank the chairman of the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee, Mr. Filner, for his leadership, as well as the 
author of this important legislation, Mr. Boswell of Iowa, and all of 
those who have worked to bring this legislation to the floor.
  I have talked, Mr. Speaker, to the mother and the stepmother of 
Marine Lance Corporal Jonathan Schulze of Minnesota. I have talked to 
the stepmother, who, along with Jonathan's father, took this young 
marine to the VA hospital seeking admission. Lance Corporal Schulze, 
back from the war in Iraq, was suffering from depression, post-
traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, and was suicidal.
  I have talked to this mother and stepmother who, along with 
Jonathan's father, are absolutely heartbroken at the loss of their 
beloved son and this true American hero, Lance Corporal Schulze. He was 
told by the VA that he was number 26 on the waiting list and would have 
to wait several months to be admitted for treatment. Five days later, 
Lance Corporal Schulze hanged himself with an electrical cord.
  This brave marine's tragic death demonstrates to all of us, to the 
Nation, the urgent need to provide greater access to mental health 
treatment for our returning troops and our veterans.
  None of our brave troops, none of our brave troops, suffering from 
PTSD should ever be placed on a waiting list for treatment. It is 
absolutely, Mr. Speaker, outrageous, that mental health treatment is 
not readily available for our brave troops returning from war.
  That is why I am proud and grateful to rise as a cosponsor of the 
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. This legislation will 
provide necessary screening to our returning veterans for risk factors 
of suicide. It will make sure that those found to be at risk will 
receive the care that they need and deserve.
  It is too late, Mr. Speaker, for Lance Corporal Jonathan Schulze of 
Minnesota, but it is not too late for thousands and thousands of other 
returning troops and veterans. It is time to pass this critical bill.
  But we must do more. We must pass mental health and chemical 
addiction parity. There are 56 million Americans suffering the ravages 
of mental illness, most of whom are going untreated. There are 24 
million Americans suffering the ravages of alcoholism and drug 
addiction, many, many veterans who are going untreated.
  We must also, in addition to this important legislation, pass the 
Mental Health Equity Act to provide equitable treatment for people 
suffering from mental illness and chemical addiction; that is, to put 
them on the same footing as people suffering from physical diseases.
  We also, Mr. Speaker, must pass the Lane Evans VA Reform Act, which 
is more comprehensive, provides more resources to the VA and more 
access to treatment for our veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, as I said, it is too late for Lance Corporal Schulze of 
Minnesota. It is too late for Staff Sergeant Omvig of Iowa. But it is 
not too late for our other veterans.
  Let's do the right thing. Let's pass this legislation.
  I thank the gentleman for his leadership.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I say to Mr. Ramstad, we thank you for your passion. On 
the Veterans Committee, we intend to use the concern of America now for 
PTSD of returning veterans to argue that we need parity for all mental 
health issues in America.
  So we thank you for your leadership on this. Thank you for reminding 
us of Corporal Schulze. We will use this as a reminder of what we have 
to do for our veterans.
  Thank you again for your passion.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
McNerney), whose son now serves us in our Nation as a member of the Air 
Force Reserve.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the chairman and the ranking 
member of the Veterans Committee and all members of the Veterans 
Committee for working together to provide our veterans with the 
services that they need.
  The Veterans Administration health care system does, in most cases, 
provide outstanding health care to our Nation's veterans. Yet, as the 
brave men and women from our Armed Forces return home from Iraq and 
Afghanistan, we are seeing additional demands already being placed on 
the VA. Those demands include addressing the hallmark injuries of these 
conflicts, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
  These conditions are often the root causes behind the large numbers 
of soldiers who have attempted or contemplated suicide. The Defense 
Department estimates that 114 Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans have 
already committed suicide, and that one out of every 100 veterans has 
considered suicide. We must quickly address this problem by equipping 
the caregivers at our VA facilities nationwide with the ability to 
recognize and prevent these needless tragedies.
  I strongly support H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act. 
It directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a 
comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicides among 
veterans. It trains VA staff to recognize the symptoms of PTSD and 
suicidal thoughts. It monitors veterans who receive medical care in the 
VA system for suicide risk factors. It provides for suicide prevention 
counselors at each medical facility, so that when the veterans need 
help they can get it immediately. And it establishes a suicide hot line 
for veterans to call.
  Our brave men and women in uniform have served this Nation with 
honor. We

[[Page H2776]]

owe them more than a debt of gratitude. We must also provide them with 
the support and care they need to return to a healthy and productive 
civilian life.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Tim Murphy).
  Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman 
from Florida for yielding, and Mr. Boswell for working on this 
important bill.
  As a psychologist, I have treated more than my share of those who 
have suffered from significant depression and have had risk of suicide, 
many of those veterans of various conflicts. This bill is extremely 
important in what it does in providing access to care, but there are so 
many things that we must utilize here as part of this bill.
  One is to make sure that it is used to provide proper screening for 
soldiers during basic training and also prior to deployment. Also to 
make sure that there is ongoing support and availability of that 
support in combat theaters. There must also be training for officers 
and leaders in the military to be aware of signs of problems and to be 
aware of treatment options. That training is vital.
  There also must be access to trained personnel both while the person 
is in a combat theater and when they return home and after discharge 
and in the years to follow, because many times the signs of these 
problems may not actually show up for years.
  It is important that all of us are aware, for our friends, our 
spouses, our loved ones who come back from combat, to recognize signs 
of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anger, and drug and 
alcohol abuse as all signs that there may be a deeper mental illness 
behind that.
  But it is important, above all of this, that we eliminate the stigma 
of mental illness. It is indeed a problem which is associated with 
biological causes with very real symptoms and very real available 
treatments. But many times soldiers do not seek treatment because they 
have a fear of being looked down upon by their peers, they fear a loss 
of rank, they fear discharge or loss of a chance for promotion. They 
feel there is limited access for trained professionals, and many also 
think the cost is overwhelming.
  We have to give hope to those with mental illness. For those who have 
seen significant problems in their life, some remain mired in those 
problems and remain victims and do not move forward. We can help them. 
There are some who are able to survive despite their problems and move 
forward and flourish and work. And there are others who thrive with 
their problems and turn these into a source of inner strength.
  There is a great deal of hope and compassion that we can bring to our 
soldiers. This bill is a wonderful mechanism to bring that. I applaud 
all those who helped on it, and I look forward to its passage.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Walz), another new Member, who happens to be the highest 
ranking enlisted man, as a command sergeant major, ever to serve in the 
Congress. We thank you for your service.
  Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and a special thank 
you to my colleague, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell) for 
introducing this important piece of legislation in honor of Joshua 
Omvig and his family and the heroics and sacrifice they made for our 
country, and for bringing it to the attention of this body and this 
Nation, this painful problem of suicide amongst our veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, you have heard a lot of statistics today already. Ten 
percent of the population in America are veterans, yet one in five 
people who commit suicide is a veteran. Since May of 2003, 93 of our 
brave soldiers and warriors from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have 
taken their own lives. Beyond that, 35 percent of returning Iraqi 
veterans are seeking counseling within 1 year. Over 73,000 have been 
diagnosed as a risk factor, and 39,000 have been diagnosed with post-
traumatic stress disorder. Despite all of this, 100 local VA clinics 
offered no mental health care as recently as last year.
  But these are far more than numbers. These affect individuals. These 
are our children. These are our soldiers. These are our marines. These 
are the patriots that answered the call of duty for this Nation. And 
when they return home, we need to provide them with everything this 
Nation can provide.
  Suicide amongst veterans, and mental health issues as a whole, 
require our urgent and immediate attention. H.R. 327 will direct the 
Department of Veterans Affairs to start screening and monitoring for 
the exact problems, provide education to all staff, contractors, and 
medical personnel, and make available 24-hour mental health care for 
veterans found to be at risk.
  Just last week, I saw a unique teleconferencing technology at the 
Rochester, Minnesota, VA clinic. It allowed veterans in remote rural 
locations to speak with mental health professionals any time of the 
day. This technology is innovative and unique. H.R. 327 is a crucial 
step to ensure that this type of technology is not unique but it is 
available at any time for our veterans.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. 
America's servicemembers make a profound sacrifice when they go to war. 
We owe them nothing less.
  But, Mr. Speaker, we must not stop here. In Minnesota, 2,600 National 
Guard soldiers have had their deployment extended, probably until late 
2007. They will come back facing these same issues. We must prepare for 
them.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. May I inquire as to the time left on both 
sides.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida has 10 minutes 
remaining. The gentleman from California has 6\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 3 minutes to the 
author of the legislation, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell), who, 
as I said, worked with the family of Mr. Omvig, who took their tragic 
situation and turned it into something that could help our whole 
Nation. We thank you, Mr. Boswell.
  (Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BOSWELL. Thank you, Chairman Filner, and all of you on the 
Veterans Committee that worked together on this, both sides of the 
aisle. We are doing the right thing, and we know that.
  I would associate myself with all the comments that have been made 
from Chairman Filner and Mr. Miller and all the rest, so I will not try 
to repeat them. But I might just share a little bit to whoever might be 
watching about why this bill came to pass.
  As we all know, a number of veterans returning from Afghanistan and 
Iraq, particularly Iraq, this phenomena is taking place, perhaps more 
so than ever before in our history. It is a concerning thing. All 
wounds are not visible. I think it has been a little hard for us to 
realize that we have to recognize this, and we are doing it.
  I just want to share with you some many, many months ago, when I had 
the occasion to respond to the Omvig family in Grundy Center, Iowa, not 
too far from Waterloo, and you will be hearing from Mr. Braley shortly, 
I went and talked to them and realized the suffering they were feeling. 
This family, this father and this mother, Randy and Ellen, their son 
came home after 11 months, someone they loved very much, of course as 
all parents do, and they realized something was wrong, wasn't right. 
They wanted to do anything they could to help, but the frustration of 
not knowing what to do, trying to help, not knowing what to do, not 
having professional help, others reaching out in the community and so 
on, keeping Joshua as close as they possibly could, and knowing that 
things were not going well.
  And then one tragic morning, as he left to go to work, and his mother 
was right there with him, and walked out to his pick-up truck, rolled 
up the window, with his mother standing just outside the window, and 
took his life. It should never have happened.
  In this day of technology, we can test our young men and women going 
in and coming out of the services, and the technicians and the experts 
tell us that they can identify with a test they give that a person is 
suspect to this situation, the possibility of wanting to commit 
suicide. They say over 1 out of 100 give it consideration coming back 
from Iraq.

[[Page H2777]]

  Now, if we have that ability to test, and we do, then it is 
appropriate that we take these steps that we are taking today to cause 
and affect our Veterans Administration to follow up and follow through 
and save every life we possibly can. We can't bring Joshua back, but we 
can do all we can possibly do to prevent it from happening to others.
  So I am very appreciative today. I of course rise in strong support 
of this. And I do this in the name of Joshua, by the name of Randy and 
Ellen. I know the day I sat with them in a little restaurant in Grundy 
Center, we talked about what we were trying to shape into this bill. I 
wasn't sure I should, but then I asked them, I said would you mind if 
we named this after your son? They kind of looked at each other and 
talked about it, and they said they would be honored.
  Now, they are continuing in their grieving, but they are reaching out 
to others. The calls they are getting to help others to get through 
this situation is a good thing. They are stepping forward and doing 
that, and I am very proud of them. So I hope we can get this message to 
them that we are responding, and the time is now.
  Please support this bill. Thank you so very much.
  With more and more veterans returning from tours of duty in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, many new issues have arisen regarding veterans' mental 
health care that has not received attention in the past.
  Some estimates have found that almost 1,000 veterans receiving care 
from the Department of Veterans Affairs commit suicide each year and 
one out of five suicides in the United States is a veteran. We must do 
better for our veterans and I believe this legislation is a step in the 
right direction.
  This legislation grew out of a great tragedy. Almost a year ago I 
learned of a young man from Grundy Center, IA, Joshua Omvig, who 
experienced undiagnosed PTDS after returning from an 11-month tour in 
Iraq. His friends and family, mother and father Ellen and Randy, knew 
he was having a hard time adjusting to civilian life but did not know 
how to help him. Help was not available. Then, in December of 2005, 
Joshua tragically took his life. He was only 22 years old. Over the 
past year I have learned that Joshua was sadly not a unique case. After 
I heard Joshua's story I was shocked to find that one in 100 Operation 
Iraqi Freedom veterans have reported thinking about suicide.
  We treat their physical wounds; now it is time to also treat their 
mental ones. All wounds are not visible.
  I'd like to say a few words about Joshua's parents, Randy and Ellen 
Omvig. Out of their personal loss they have championed a cause to help 
all veterans and their family members. I have met with the Omvigs on 
numerous occasions; most recently I saw them this past Sunday, and I'm 
so impressed by their commitment to help others--the young men and 
women who have served our country. They are true heroes.
  I am proud to stand here in support of this bill and I encourage the 
House to pass H.R. 327 today and ensure all veterans receive the care 
they need. Not all wounds inflicted in combat are visible, now is the 
time to treat them.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. I would yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California 
(Mrs. Napolitano), who has been a fighter to elevate mental health to 
the consciousness not only to California, but our whole Nation for her 
whole career.
  Thank you, Mrs. Napolitano.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Thank you, Mr. Filner and Mr. Boswell.
  Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the previous remarks of all my 
colleagues in regard to H.R. 327, of which I am in complete support. It 
is a bill designed to decrease suicide amongst our veterans. As you 
have heard, we have had the highest rate of suicide of any other war.
  This is about soldiers like Michael, who returned from Iraq, went 
months on a waiting list from doctor to doctor without proper 
treatment, and when finally diagnosed, a week later he shot himself. 
This is about the two marines gathered at a muster in Long Beach just 
recently who were diagnosed on the spot with suicidal tendencies and 
were hospitalized immediately. This is about our local VFW seeing more 
and more young people seeking to get services for their mental well-
being. This is also about our families becoming aware of signs to look 
for and where to find treatment. This is about providing the funding to 
help heal the mental wounds so that our warriors believe it is better 
to remain alive and not dead. What is more critical and more important?
  I urge my colleagues to vote in support of 327.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. I would yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa, the 
neighboring district to the Omvigs, and a new Member, Mr. Braley.
  Thank you for being here today.
  (Mr. BRALEY of Iowa asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. I thought it was important to come today and put 
a human face on the tragic story of Joshua Omvig. This handsome young 
man you see in this photograph is Joshua Omvig, and standing next to 
his headstone are his parents, Randy and Ellen.
  It was Christmas in 2005 when I opened up the Waterloo Courier, my 
hometown newspaper, and saw the name Omvig, which jumped out at me 
right away because I have known Randy and Ellen for a long time.
  Even though Grundy Center is just south of my district, I immediately 
was drawn to this tragic story. Joshua Omvig is not going to be 
reflected in any of the casualty totals from Iraq, but he and the other 
tragic stories you have heard today deserve to be included no less in 
the toll that has been taken on the lives of young men and women of 
this country. We owe them more. That is why I was so proud that my 
colleague from Iowa took the initiative to push this measure onto the 
House floor into committee so that it can finally receive the proper 
attention it deserved.
  I came here with some prepared remarks, but I chose instead to speak 
from the heart today. Because when I was out at Walter Reed for the 
oversight hearings on the problems and the backlog of disability claims 
and the Surgeon General of the Army, Lieutenant General Kiley, tried to 
justify that backlog by saying that the science of post-traumatic 
stress disorder was still evolving in 2003 and that was preventing them 
from processing these claims, I had enough. Because I knew what people 
like Randy and Ellen Omvig have been going through, and I knew that 
this ability to prevent these tragedies from happening has been around 
for many years. And so I told General Kiley, with all due respect, 
that's hogwash.
  It is important for this body to stand up and say that post-traumatic 
stress disorder is real, which is exactly what General Schoomaker said 
that day. That is why I urge you all to support this important bill and 
honor the memory of Joshua Omvig.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig 
Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. This bill is named in honor of 22-
year-old Joshua Omvig, a member of the U.S. Army Reserves 3398th MP Co. 
from Grundy Center, IA, who tragically took his own life in December of 
2005 after serving an 11-month tour of duty in Iraq.
  This legislation is an important step in ensuring adequate mental 
health care for our troops who return home from serving in combat zones 
and who, like Joshua, may be suffering from combat-related anxiety, 
depression, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This bill is a 
necessary and overdue step in reaching out to veterans of all ages, and 
their families, in order to prevent the tragic deaths of heroes like 
Joshua Omvig.
  Nearly 1,000 veterans receiving care from the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, VA, commit suicide each year, a number which is startling and 
unacceptable. Army studies show that around 25 percent of the soldiers 
who have served in Iraq display symptoms of serious mental health 
problems, including depression, substance abuse, and PTSD. These 
figures are expected to rise, as PTSD an other mental health problems 
often do not surface for months after soldiers have returned home. 
These mental health problems put our service personnel at higher risk 
for suicide.
  When Joshua returned home from Iraq with PTSD, his family knew that 
he was suffering, but they didn't realize how completely his illness 
would devastate him. They didn't realize he had PTSD, or that he was at 
risk for suicide. And they did not know how to help him, because they 
did not have the appropriate resources available to them.
  The Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act will help prevent 
suicides like Joshua's by requiring the VA to develop and implement a 
comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among 
veterans.

[[Page H2778]]

This program includes educating VA staff about how to identify risk 
factors for suicide, and training staffers in the appropriate ways to 
respond to crisis situations and prevent suicide among veterans. The 
bill also requires the VA to provide mental health care to veterans 24 
hours per day, and requires that a suicide prevention counselor be 
available at every VA facility. These counselors will provide direct 
assistance to veterans, and will also work with local emergency rooms, 
police departments, mental health organizations, and veterans' service 
organizations to provide outreach to veterans who may be at risk for 
suicide.
  Additionally, the bill requires the VA to provide outreach and 
education for veterans and their families to give them the necessary 
skills to cope with mental illness, to reduce the stigma associated 
with seeking treatment for mental illness, and to know when and how to 
seek suicide prevention assistance.
  It is my fervent hope that the passage of this bill in the House of 
Representatives today means that the tragic death of young Joshua Omvig 
will not be in vain. I would like to commend Joshua's parents for their 
advocacy on the behalf of their son and all veterans, and thank 
Congressman Leonard Boswell for his leadership on this issue. I 
strongly urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the Joshua Omvig 
Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, and I look forward to the passage of 
this critical legislation today.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire of the chairman 
if he needs additional time.
  Mr. FILNER. I would ask for the courtesy of yielding 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Salazar).
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Salazar).
  Mr. SALAZAR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. And I thank the 
chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for bringing this important 
issue up to our attention.
  I have been a proud cosponsor of this legislation for 2 years, and I 
want to thank Mr. Boswell for his leadership.
  This brings up an important point. It brings up an important point 
because we are now seeing some underfunding of the VA committee and of 
VA health care initiatives. We have heard today statistics of how now, 
today, Vietnam veterans are still being affected by post-traumatic 
stress disorder. We haven't even been able to touch the beginning of 
the iceberg.
  So today, Mr. Speaker, it is important to make it clear what the 
leadership of this House, the people's House, has said. The leadership 
of this House today has said that the most important issue for the 
veterans to be addressed are the issues of health care, both shortfall 
and VA funding, and it is also an important issue that today we push 
forward for full funding of VA health care.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. I would urge all of my colleagues to support 
H.R. 327.
  I thank Mr. Boswell for bringing this legislation to the floor. He is 
a fine man, a great sponsor of this piece of legislation, and I urge 
all of my colleagues to vote in favor of it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank Mr. Miller, the ranking 
member of the House subcommittee, for your courtesy today, for your 
leadership on these issues, and for bringing members of your caucus to 
the floor. I think it is very important that all of us have an 
understanding of these issues. And the more that we all understand it 
and communicate that to the American people, we are, I think, better as 
a Nation. So thank you for the cooperation and the support.
  I think we all were moved by Mr. Boswell and Mr. Braley's 
presentations. In the name of Joshua Omvig, we ask for support from our 
colleagues.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 327, the 
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. I am proud to be a 
cosponsor of this important bill.
  Estimates indicate that nearly 1,000 veterans receiving care from the 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) take their own lives each year. 
This should be a clear sign that more must be done to address the very 
serious and troubling issue of veterans' suicide. Many veterans 
continue to return from Iraq and Afghanistan with Post-Traumatic Stress 
Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health concerns, and we must equip the 
VA with the information and resources they need in order to ensure that 
our veterans receive adequate care.
  When this legislation was first brought to my attention earlier this 
year, I happened to come across an Associated Press news story about a 
young man from Minnesota who served as a U.S. Marine in Iraq. Upon 
returning home from Iraq, he experienced nightmares and paranoia, often 
re-living his combat experiences in his sleep. On January 11, 2007, he 
told staff at a VA hospital that he felt suicidal. He mentioned this 
again over the phone the next day to VA staff. Despite these direct 
pleas for help, no action was taken, and 4 days later, he killed 
himself in his Minnesota home. He was 25 years old.
  H.R. 327 takes a number of important steps towards reducing the 
incidence of suicide among veterans. This legislation directs the 
Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive program to 
regularly screen and monitor all veterans for risk factors of suicide, 
set up a tracking and counseling referral system to ensure all veterans 
found to be a suicide risk will receive the appropriate help, and 
provide education and training for all VA staff, contractors, and 
medical personnel who have interaction with veterans. The legislation 
would also provide 24-hour mental health care for veterans who are 
believed to be at risk for suicide, so that veterans could seek 
assistance whenever they need it.
  Our Nation's veterans fight for us overseas, and deserve proper care 
when they return home. This includes educating VA staff, veterans and 
their families about PTSD and suicide prevention in order to encourage 
service members to seek mental health assistance when necessary. Now 
more than ever, as service members return home with PTSD and other 
mental health issues, it is essential that we provide adequate mental 
health care that can help prevent suicide among our Nation's veterans.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 327.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 327, as amended.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

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