[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 130 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11097-S11101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  JOSHUA OMVIG SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor at this Time to 
respond a little to the comments made prior to the recess for our 
Republican and Democratic caucuses today, made on the floor by the 
Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. Coburn, regarding the bill called the Joshua 
Omvig Suicide Prevention Act. I want to lay out what the bill does, 
where we are on it, and respond to some of the objections that the 
Senator from Oklahoma raised.
  Shortly before the Senate adjourned for the August recess, we sought 
unanimous consent to pass this bill, the Joshua Omvig Suicide 
Prevention Act, and send it to the President for his signature. 
Unfortunately, an objection was lodged on the other side of the aisle 
by--as we know from this morning--the Senator from Oklahoma. I am 
saddened by the objection to this legislation.
  My staff and I have spent a great deal of Time trying to understand 
the reasons behind this objection and respond to the concerns that have 
been raised. I thought it would be helpful for my fellow Senators, and 
anyone who is watching, if I took some Time to review why I believe the 
Senate needs to act now to pass this important bill, and why I find it 
so puzzling that one Senator would object.
  Let me give a little bit of history. I introduced this legislation, 
along with my colleague from Iowa, Senator Grassley, after learning 
about the case of a young Iowan--his name was Joshua Omvig--who 
tragically took his own life shortly after returning home from an 11-
month deployment in Iraq. Joshua was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, 
339th MP Company, based in Davenport, IA. Before leaving for Iraq, he 
was a member of the Grundy Center Volunteer Fire Department and the 
Grundy Center Police Reserves. He was honored to serve his country in 
the Reserves and hoped to return to his community to serve as a police 
officer. Please remember what I just said. He was honored to serve his 
country in the Reserves, and he hoped to return to his community to 
serve as a police officer. Keep that in mind. I will return to it 
later.
  His family is convinced that if the Veterans' Administration had more 
services for veterans in place, Joshua would have received the help he 
needed and he would still be alive. But rather than withdrawing into 
their grief, Joshua's parents have dedicated themselves to ensuring no 
other family has to suffer this way. Ellen and Randy Omvig, Joshua's 
parents, have assisted countless veterans and their families in 
navigating the VA system. They have been outspoken advocates of 
improved mental health services for servicemembers and veterans. In 
April, the Omvigs testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs 
Committee on the importance of appropriate suicide prevention, early 
detection, and treatment programs for our veterans. The goal of the 
Joshua Omvig Act is simple: to improve suicide prevention and early 
detection and to improve assistance to veterans in crisis in order to 
prevent suicides among those who have so bravely served our country.
  We know there is an urgent, overwhelming need for this bill. A study 
in last month's issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community 
Health found that those who have been in combat are twice as likely to 
commit suicide as those who have never served in a war.
  The Veterans' Administration estimates that more than 5,000 veterans 
take their lives each year. These numbers are certain to increase 
dramatically, given the growing number of soldiers returning from 
combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Suicide rates are 35

[[Page S11098]]

percent higher for Iraq veterans than for the general population. Let 
me repeat that statement. Suicide rates are 35 percent higher for Iraq 
war veterans than for the general population. The Department of Defense 
recently reported that the Army is seeing the highest rate of suicide 
in 28 years.
  So what does the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act do? It 
directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a comprehensive 
program to address the troubling rate of suicide among veterans 
returning from combat. The legislation takes a multifaceted approach 
toward the prevention of suicide. It emphasizes the importance of 
social support, family involvement, readjustment services, as well as 
further research to decrease the number of suicides among our veterans. 
It also boosts training for all Department of Veterans Affairs staff, 
contractors, and medical personnel who interact with veterans, teaching 
them to identify risk factors
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
  Mr. HARKIN. Yes.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is my understanding the Senator from Iowa 
is speaking on veteran suicide; is that right?
  Mr. HARKIN. Yes.
  Mr. REID. I spoke briefly yesterday morning. A 19-year-old--as the 
Senator knows, my dad killed himself, so I understand something about 
suicide--a 19-year-old soldier from Las Vegas came back to Las Vegas. 
He told his parents and everybody else he didn't want to go back to 
Iraq. I think they said they gave him medicine--Prozac, whatever it 
was--and sent him back. In a matter of a few days, he killed himself.
  Suicide is a devastating problem. It is a problem in the civilian 
population. Mr. President, 31,000 people kill themselves every year. We 
don't understand the issue at all. We haven't studied it enough. What 
is going on in the civilian side is a mere shadow of what is going on 
in the military.
  Mr. HARKIN. That is true.
  Mr. REID. We have had hundreds of soldiers who have killed themselves 
in Iraq. A lot of them are not suicide reported.
  I so admire and appreciate what the Senator from Iowa is doing with 
regard to this legislation. It is so very important. Suicide is a 
national problem, and with the emotional and mental problems our troops 
are having coming back, we have to get to the bottom of this issue and 
see what we can do to prevent further deaths.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I thank my leader for joining with me on 
this issue. I respond to him, I just said--I don't know if the leader 
was on the floor at the time--that suicide rates for Iraq veterans--
Iraq veterans--is 35 percent higher than the general population. The 
Department of Defense has said their suicide rate in the Regular Army 
is at the highest rate in 28 years.
  I say to the distinguished Senator from Nevada, this bill I am 
talking about was introduced in the House earlier this year. There were 
154 cosponsors on both sides of the aisle. This bill, the Joshua Omvig 
suicide prevention bill, passed the House in March 423 to 0--423 to 0. 
We can't get much better than that.
  It came to the Senate. The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee had 
three hearings on it and the House had two hearings, for a total of 
five hearings. Every veterans group, every veterans support group, 
disabled veterans, everyone came to testify on the need for this 
legislation.
  We went through the committee process, had the hearings, and had all 
the testimony. Joshua's parents testified. We brought it out on the 
floor for a unanimous consent agreement before we left on the August 
break. It passed the House 423 to 0. Then I found there was an 
objection raised.
  I started to nose around to find out who raised the objection. It was 
Senator Coburn from Oklahoma. I talked with the Senator from Oklahoma. 
He said, first of all, he was upset that there were not any hearings. 
He told me that right out in the back of the lobby. I said: Senator, we 
had hearings. We had three in the Senate, two in the House. Well, he 
had to go check on it.
  Then he raised other objections and came on the floor this morning to 
say why he has objections. Now I am going to respond to those 
objections in kind to let the Senator know his objections are 
unfathomable.

  So here we are faced with a dire situation among our veterans, with 
the highest suicide rates ever, and we are trying to pass legislation 
to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to do certain things to 
set up processes and procedures so that our veterans will have the kind 
of counseling and the kind of medical intervention so they do not 
commit suicide, and yet we have one objection raised.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, if I could direct another question to my 
friend. We have so much to do in the Senate. Certain measures expire at 
the end of the fiscal year. But I say to my friend, I feel very 
strongly about this issue, for obvious reasons. Everyone should 
understand, if people want to stop us from moving forward on this 
legislation, they are going to have to vote accordingly. We are not 
going to let one or two Senators stop us from moving forward on this 
bill.
  I have the greatest respect for Dr. Coburn, the junior Senator from 
Oklahoma. I hope the Senator's conversations with him will bear fruit 
and we can move forward tonight. But if they don't, we are going to 
figure our way past this before we leave here this year, OK?
  Mr. HARKIN. I appreciate it.
  Mr. REID. Every day we wait is another person calling--as I remember 
it, and it has been a long time ago now, I say to my friend, a long 
time ago. My dad was a lot younger than I am right now when he killed 
himself. I can remember that phone call. I can remember that phone 
call. I had a wonderful morning. I had been out to watch Muhammad Ali 
work out. I spent many hours with Muhammad Ali. I got back to the 
office and Joan Shea, the receptionist, said: Your mother is on the 
line. I said: Hi. She said: Your pop killed himself. What is this 
about?
  So anyway, 31,000 people get phone calls such as that every year on 
the civilian side, and we have probably thousands of other people who 
commit suicide who are not listed as suicides. And then we have the 
situation the Senator from Iowa just indicated. The people who are 
coming home are 35 percent higher, in a ratio of killing themselves, 
than the people in the civilian population. That is scary.
  The other problem, I say to my friend, is Active-Duty soldiers, 
troops also have problems. Every day we don't do this bill is another 
day someone is going to kill themselves.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I thank the leader. I ask the leader, if 
we can, if the objection is not withdrawn, I hope we can bring the bill 
up and move the bill legislatively on the floor.
  Mr. REID. I have indicated to the Senator, we are going to do that. 
We, of course, have to see what is ahead of us, but it is something 
about which I feel strongly. The floor staff is watching Senator Harkin 
and me talk today. We will figure out a way to do it.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I appreciate the sensitivity of the 
Senator from Nevada, our distinguished majority leader, on this issue.
  Basically, what the bill does, again as I said, is to boost training 
for all Department of Veterans Affairs staff, contractors, and medical 
personnel, teaching them to identify risk factors for suicide and refer 
veterans to the appropriate mental health counseling and mental health 
centers.
  As I said at the outset, this has been the most bipartisan piece of 
legislation I can imagine. Senator Grassley and I introduced it in the 
Senate, appropriately since Joshua Omvig was from Iowa. We have 30 
different cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. It was introduced in 
the other body by Congressman Leonard Boswell of Iowa, who is the 
Congressman from the district in which Joshua Omvig lived. In fact, it 
is that version of the bill we are trying to pass today.
  I may have misspoke earlier. He secured 152 bipartisan cosponsors of 
the bill. It passed the House in March by a vote of 423 to 0. No 
Republican objected over there. No one; 423, not a single dissenting 
vote. That is why I was so surprised and, quite frankly, dismayed when 
an objection was raised on the other side of the aisle preventing 
passage of the bill before the August recess.
  How many more veterans have committed suicide since that time who 
might have been, through counseling,

[[Page S11099]]

through outreach, through some way given the appropriate support 
services so they wouldn't have to commit suicide?
  This morning, the Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. Coburn, offered several 
reasons for his objection. That is what I would like to respond to now.
  He mentioned that the bill is duplicative of the VA's plans to 
prevent suicide and that veterans' receipt of benefits would be 
contingent on the screening. He also raised concerns about the validity 
of the peer counseling provisions of the bill. Finally, he expressed 
concern that if the VA asked veterans about their mental health, this 
information might be used to inhibit their ability to purchase 
handguns. All of these concerns are unfounded, and I want to explain.
  In 2004, the VA developed a series of suicide prevention initiatives 
as part of a comprehensive mental health strategic plan. All well and 
good. Unfortunately, very few of the initiatives have been implemented. 
During the first 2 years following development of the plan, a 
Government Accountability Office report found that the VA did not even 
spend $100 million of the $300 million that was specifically allocated 
for this initiative. One-third of the money specifically allocated was 
not spent.
  I think our veterans have paid a steep price, a tragic price for this 
foot dragging. When the VA has announced plans to undertake suicide 
prevention initiatives, usually it is in response to some highly 
publicized incident. They usually announce the plans and then they do 
not follow through.
  For example, in February the VA finally announced it would put 
suicide prevention crisis counselors in VA facilities. That was only 
after the tragic, high-profile suicide of Jonathan Schulze, a marine 
who received two Purple Hearts for his service in Iraq. When Schulze 
informed his local VA facility that he was thinking about killing 
himself, he was told he was 26th on the local VA's waiting list for VA 
mental health services. He went home and killed himself that night. In 
response to that, the VA said: We are going to put VA suicide 
prevention crisis counselors in all VA facilities.
  Although they announced it, 7 months later they have still not fully 
implemented this initiative. Yes, if there is a tragic case like that, 
the VA will come out and say they are going to do things. Seven months 
later they still have not implemented the initiative.
  What would our bill do, the Omvig Act? The Omvig Act would require 
the Veterans' Administration to designate a suicide prevention 
counselor at each medical facility. No more foot dragging; it would 
require them to do that right now.
  In late July, the VA announced the implementation of a 24-hour 
suicide prevention hotline. That is also in the Joshua Omvig bill. That 
VA plan has been around since 2004. Three years later they say they are 
finally going to put it into effect. I suppose that is some kind of 
progress. But by writing this very sensible provision into law, we will 
ensure that the VA does not backslide on this either. As part of its 
2004 strategic plan, the VA set a plan to train all front-line staff on 
suicide prevention. In 2004, they said that. They still have failed to 
provide this training. Maybe that is what the Senator from Oklahoma is 
saying is duplicative. Yes, we say you have to have a 24-hour suicide 
hotline. The VA said they were going to do that in 2004. They said they 
were finally going to implement it in July. It still isn't manned, and 
the counselors they said they were going to have do that in February, 7 
months later they haven't done that. We say you have to do it. Is that 
duplicative? No, it is putting into law and mandating that the VA has 
to do this.
  The Omvig Act directs the Secretary to ensure that staff members have 
the training necessary to identify risk factors for suicide and to make 
appropriate referrals for assistance. Is that too much to ask? Is that 
too burdensome for veterans who put their lives on the line in 
Afghanistan and Iraq and other places? It just says the staffs have to 
have the training necessary to identify risk factors for suicide to 
make appropriate referrals for assistance.
  The VA said they were going to do that in 2004, but they never have. 
Because they have not done this, many Armed Forces personnel who have 
been discharged and have VA benefits are not receiving these services. 
The Omvig family and numerous veterans support groups testified during 
our hearings about the importance of outreach to reduce the stigma 
associated with mental health issues and to assist veterans and their 
families in transitioning to civilian life. This legislation, the Omvig 
bill, would establish a program to provide education and outreach to 
families to help them identify symptoms of mental health problems and 
to encourage families to seek assistance.
  The VA inspector general issued a report this May, confirming that 
the VA is falling short of the necessary system-wide implementation of 
suicide prevention programs--their own inspector general. They found 
that many VA clinics lacked properly trained staff. Need I repeat 
myself? They did not provide 24-hour services and provided inadequate 
mental health screening. That is their own inspector general.
  The inspector general also found that the VA had not established best 
practices research to ensure a standard of suicide prevention.
  The Omvig bill addresses all these issues. The aim of the bill is to 
improve early detection and intervention, provide access to services 
for veterans in crisis and thereby prevent suicide among those who have 
put their lives on the line to defend our Nation.
  The Senator from Oklahoma objected. He expressed concern that the 
receipt of benefits would be contingent on the screening, and that 
there is no opt-out provision. Let's look at this. The fact is, the 
Department of Defense already requires soldiers returning from 
deployment to complete a checklist of symptoms such as anxiety, 
difficulty sleeping, suicidal thoughts. There are no opt-outs for this 
mental health screening because these programs are critical to ensure 
that those with mental health concerns receive the assistance they 
need.
  The DOD, the Department of Defense, says if you are going to be 
redeployed, you have to have mental health screening--no opt-out. We 
are saying the screening provision in the Omvig bill does not mandate a 
formal checklist of mental health symptoms. It just ensures that 
medical professionals incorporate questions about veterans' mental 
health into primary care visits. In other words, what we are trying to 
say is mental health care should be integrated into primary health 
care. That is all we are saying.
  Just as a medical professional would ask questions about risk factors 
for heart disease, it is responsible medicine to ask about risk factors 
for suicide, especially among this group since the data show how high 
it is, how high the incidence is of suicide.
  Doctors ask their patients all the time if they are getting enough 
exercise and eating healthy. They should also ask if a veteran is 
sleeping well and if they have been anxious. These questions are 
critical in order for doctors to get a full picture of the veteran's 
health and well-being.
  I want to make it very clear, the bill does not make the receipt of 
benefits contingent on veterans undergoing a separate mental health 
screening. Rather, it merely seeks to incorporate into their screening 
process, into their primary health care process, this process, that the 
health professionals are incorporating appropriate questions about 
suicide risk into their practice. Not to do this is totally 
irresponsible.
  The Senator from Oklahoma also mentioned his concern that the peer 
counseling provisions in the bill are not effective. Again, I am 
surprised by this as there is a large body of research that peer 
support programs are effective in alleviating post-traumatic stress 
symptoms, PTSD symptoms and depression, reducing the likelihood of 
hospitalization and increasing social support. President Bush's New 
Freedom Commission on Mental Health recognizes peer support approaches 
as an emerging best practice in helping people to recover from 
traumatic events.

  Who better to counsel with a soldier who has served in Iraq and had a 
lot of trauma, or from Afghanistan who had a lot of trauma, than a 
peer, one of their own peers to talk to them about it, or their 
families? Peer support approaches offer a low-cost and effective 
supplement to traditional services in which

[[Page S11100]]

transitioning veterans can talk to someone who had similar experiences 
and understands what they are going through. This is well-recognized, 
evidence-based service that allows veterans to talk to someone who had 
similar experiences and, as I said, understands what they are going 
through. How can there be an objection to that?
  Finally, regarding the concern of the Senator about veterans' ability 
to access firearms, I am very puzzled. This bill ensures that the VA 
takes appropriate measures to follow up with veterans who are at risk 
for suicide. OK. There are strict privacy laws that govern the doctor-
patient relationship. Privacy laws prevent the release of information 
about any patient. There is an exception if the patient is a serious 
threat to himself or others, but no medical professional can refer an 
individual to the background check system that would limit access to 
firearms.
  Let me repeat that: No medical professional can refer an individual 
to the background check system that would limit access to firearms. 
This can only be done through the judicial process. In other words, 
before an individual can be placed on the NICS list where they can't 
purchase a handgun--and this prevents an individual who is mentally ill 
from purchasing a firearm--a judge must make a determination that the 
individual belongs on that list.
  As many of my colleagues are aware, there is legislation that has 
passed the House and was recently approved by the Judiciary Committee 
that would encourage States to do a better job reporting to the NICS 
system in the wake of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech. If 
Senators have concerns about how the NICS system operates, it seems to 
me that legislation is the appropriate venue for those concerns. But to 
hold up the Omvig suicide prevention bill that delivers critical 
suicide prevention services to veterans based on concerns related to an 
unrelated pending bill is very troubling.
  There is an editorial that appeared in the New York Times on August 
30. Let me read from that. Here is what the editorial in the New York 
Times said on August 30:

       As the Army's suicide rate hits record levels in the Iraq 
     war, there's small wonder practically everyone in Congress 
     wants to deal with the parallel emerging crisis of depressed 
     veterans tempted to take their own lives. Everyone, that is, 
     except Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma. He stands 
     alone in blocking final passage of a suicide prevention bill 
     in fear that the government's record-keeping on troubled vets 
     might somehow crimp their ability to purchase handguns.
       Even the craven gun lobby should manage some shame at this 
     example of Second Amendment idolatry. The House has 
     unanimously approved a measure mandating the screening of all 
     veterans for suicide risk, but Senator Coburn worries that 
     veterans' medical data might be appropriated by other 
     agencies to deny that all-encompassing right to wield arms on 
     the domestic front.

  Again, the editorial goes on.

       The Senator's office points to another bill near passage--
     prompted by the Virginia Tech gun massacre--that would 
     encourage states to do a better job of listing mentally 
     troubled individuals on the Federal roll of risky gun 
     purchasers. But tying these two measures together is itself 
     evidence of defective reasoning, or at least scurrilous 
     politicking. The Virginia Tech measure has nothing to do with 
     veterans and affects only those Americans formally judged by 
     a court to be mentally disturbed.
       It is an eminently good thing that the anti-suicide 
     measures would require medical specialists to keep track of 
     veterans found to be high risks for suicide. But that's to 
     care for them as human beings, under that other 
     constitutional right to life--liberty and the pursuit of 
     happiness. Respect for the grave sacrifices by veterans 
     requires the Senate to strike down the Coburn ploy and hurry 
     this vital measure to President Bush.

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full editorial be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the New York Times, Aug. 30, 2007]

                       Locked, Loaded and Looney

       As the Army's suicide rate hits record levels in the Iraq 
     war, there's small wonder practically everyone in Congress 
     wants to deal with the parallel emerging crisis of depressed 
     veterans tempted to take their own lives. Everyone that is, 
     except Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma. He stands 
     alone in blocking final passage of a suicide prevention bill 
     in fear that the government's record-keeping on troubled vets 
     might somehow crimp their ability to purchase handguns. Even 
     the craven gun lobby should manage some shame over this 
     absurd example of Second Amendment idolatry.
       The House has unanimously approved a measure mandating the 
     screening of all veterans for suicide risk, but Senator 
     Coburn worries that veterans' medical data might be 
     appropriated by other agencies to deny that all-encompassing 
     right to wield arms on the domestic front. The senator's 
     office points to another bill near passage--prompted by the 
     Virginia Tech gun massacre--that would encourage states to do 
     a better job of listing mentally troubled individuals on the 
     federal roll of risky gun purchasers. But tying these two 
     measures together is itself evidence of defective reasoning 
     or at least scurrilous politicking. The Virginia Tech measure 
     has nothing to do with veterans and affects only those 
     Americans formally judged by a court to be mentally 
     disturbed. It is an eminently good thing that the anti-
     suicide measure would require medical specialists to keep 
     track of veterans found to be high risks for suicide. But 
     that's to care for them as human beings, under that other 
     constitutional right--to life liberty and the pursuit of 
     happiness. Respect for the grave sacrifices by veterans 
     requires the Senate to strike down the Coburn ploy and hurry 
     this vital measure to President Bush.

  Mr. HARKIN. Lastly, Mr. Coburn spoke on the floor and mentioned his 
staff had made suggestions about the language. Again, I am very 
surprised to hear this. Staff from my office and Senator Grassley's 
office met with Senator Coburn's staff before the recess in an attempt 
to resolve any differences.
  Their staff made no suggestion as to what it would take to lift 
Senator Coburn's hold. Over recess, I instructed my staff to make 
attempts to meet with his staff, but his staff was always unavailable. 
Over the last few days, we once again attempted to reach out to his 
staff in an effort to move the bill. But, again, we have not heard 
anything back.
  We suggested we would be willing to work with Senator Coburn on the 
tracking language he was concerned about. But we have not heard 
anything from his office until the Senator spoke on the floor this 
morning.
  This bill has received full consideration, as I said, in the House 
and the Senate. It passed without a single dissenting voice in the 
House. Is the Senator from Oklahoma saying there are 423 totally 
irresponsible people in the House? I mean, there are people in the 
House every bit as conservative as the Senator from Oklahoma. They did 
not raise any objections to this. We had three hearings in the Senate 
on the bill, two hearings in the House.
  Josh Omvig's parents testified before the Senate VA Committee in 
April. I wish to recount something they said. At the beginning of my 
remarks, I mentioned that Joshua Omvig, before he went into the 
military, had been a member of the Grundy Center Volunteer Fire 
Department and Police Reserve.
  He had hoped to return to serve his community as a police officer. I 
said: Remember that, because I am going to return to it. I now return 
to it.
  It was his dream to one day become a police officer. As he pursued 
that dream, he worked alongside many Grundy Center fire and policemen. 
Here is what Mr. Omvig said to the committee:

       The day after Josh's suicide, the Grundy Center police 
     department and fire department had a time where a 
     professional counselor was brought in to help them cope and 
     deal with what happened that day. Do we as a nation take the 
     same measures for our troops who have served for us for 
     months in a combat area? Are we providing our military men 
     and women the appropriate services to help them assimilate to 
     civilian life? Are we providing them with what they need to 
     survive the peace? Ellen and I have to say ``No'' not at this 
     time. We can and must do more!

  Now, I saw Joshua's parents at the time when they were here in 
Washington. And, you know, it is always awkward to talk to parents 
about the death of any of their children, especially a young person 
taking his own life. I said to both the parents: Was there any 
indication? I mean, do you have any idea why Joshua would take his own 
life?
  Mr. Omvig said: Yeah, I know exactly why. I said: Why? He said: Well, 
Joshua always wanted to be a police officer, all his life growing up. 
That is why he volunteered on the police reserves, volunteer fire. He 
went into the service thinking that would help him to become a police 
officer. He was worried that if he sought mental health services, he 
would never be able to become a police officer. What a shame. What a 
shame that in this country we still treat mental health like that. That 
is why we have to do a better job.

[[Page S11101]]

  That is why counseling, someone talking to Joshua, one of his peers 
who has been through the same thing who may have then gone on to become 
a police officer could say: You can get mental health help. You can get 
the necessary treatment, and you can still become a police officer.
  Well, while we delay and fail to act, we are losing more and more 
veterans to suicide. As I said, the VA plan was written 3 years ago, 
and they are still not implementing it.
  The PTSD program treatment at Walter Reed accepts only 65 patients 
each year. Yet more than 45,000 veterans sought medical help for post-
traumatic stress disorder in the first 3 months of 2007; Walter Reed 
accepts 65 a year.
  The VA must be better equipped to deal with veterans who are in 
crisis. With this bill, we can ensure that the VA will provide 
comprehensive and critical services, even when the issue is not in the 
headlines because of some tragedy. We need to hold the VA accountable.
  As I said, even their own inspector general said they were not living 
up to it, our GAO said they were not. We need to make it clear that 
preventing suicide among our veterans is a congressional and national 
priority. For our veterans who have served their country, fought for 
our country, many times they are being left to fight their own private 
mental health life wars alone, private wars they too often lose.
  I urge the objecting Senator to reexamine this important bill, 
reconsider his objection. Lives are at stake. We need to move forward 
with the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act as quickly as 
possible.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________