[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H3065]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MILITARY MENTAL WELLNESS

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring 
attention to the timely issue of behavioral health in our military.
  Currently, our soldiers undergo comprehensive medical and physical 
examinations during recruitment to ensure that they are fully fit and 
capable of performing their military duties; however, currently, no 
similar examination for mental health competency exists. This is a 
serious information gap as our military continues to address issues 
such as posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and 
suicide.
  Madam Speaker, the issue of military mental wellness should be on the 
mind of every Member of Congress--and not just when this issue is back 
in the news.
  Prior to the Fort Hood shootings, I introduced H.R. 4305, the Medical 
Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers Act, which will institute a 
preliminary mental health assessment at the time recruits are first 
joining the military.
  The bill, which was reported on today by the Pittsburgh Tribune 
Review, is not an end-all solution when it comes to addressing this 
issue, but it is an important step in tackling a well-established 
information gap in the realm of servicemember behavioral health.
  I encourage Members to join in cosponsoring H.R. 4305.

                          ____________________