[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 48 (Monday, March 23, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1716-S1717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. ERNST (for herself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Grassley, and Mr. 
        Cornyn):
  S. 841. A bill to expand eligibility for health care under the 
Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to include 
certain veterans seeking mental health care, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, as we begin this week with the serious and 
necessary discussions about the budget, I rise today to talk about 
something that is very personal to me, something that is incredibly 
close to my heart--the service and sacrifice of our Nation's finest men 
and women, those who serve in our Armed Forces.
  As the budget process moves forward, we must ensure that our national 
security needs are met and that our veterans can receive the much-
needed care and assistance they deserve.
  Growing up on a farm in rural southwest Iowa, my parents instilled in 
my sister, my brother, and me the importance of hard work, service, and 
sacrifice.
  In the summer between my freshman and sophomore years at Iowa State 
University, I was very fortunate to attend an agricultural exchange in 
Ukraine, when it was still part of the former Soviet Union. The Iowa 
students and I lived on a collective farm for a number of weeks. In the 
evening, when the community members came together, we did not talk 
about agricultural practices, like I anticipated. What we talked about 
was what it was like to be free, what it was like to be an American. 
Those were the things the Ukrainians wanted to know. They wanted to 
know about freedom, our Republic, and democracy. Just a few short years 
later, they became an independent nation. They are a sovereign nation.
  It was then that I better understood what it meant to have freedom 
and how much people elsewhere truly desire it. I wanted to do my part 
to ensure our country always remained free.
  That realization led me to make a decision when I was 19 years old--
to join the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps, commonly known as 
ROTC.
  For over two decades, I have had the great honor of wearing our 
Nation's uniform. Today, I serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa 
Army National Guard, and I have been privileged to have led and 
commanded at many levels, from platoon to battalion. From 2003 to 2004, 
I served as a company commander in Operation Iraqi Freedom. My unit was 
tasked with running convoys through Kuwait and southern Iraq.
  As a soldier, I learned firsthand the vital role that our citizen 
soldiers play. Citizen soldiers are folks who train for military duty 
so they are prepared to defend in the face of an emergency. These men 
and women take on this task voluntarily and can be called upon to serve 
at any time.
  While overseas, I had the opportunity to serve alongside some of 
America's finest, our bravest men and women. I saw firsthand how 
dangerous threats against our Nation can be.
  It is becoming increasingly important that our military--Active Duty, 
National Guard, and Reserve--are always working together as one 
cohesive unit. We are strongest in numbers when working together to 
build one another up and support one another. Our mission is clear and 
we come from all corners of the country united on the same goal--to 
defend our freedom.
  I continue to remain focused on strengthening our national security,

[[Page S1717]]

both in my role in the Iowa National Guard and on the Armed Services 
Committee, where we discuss ways to support our exceptional military 
and develop bipartisan strategies to confront terrorism and destroy Al 
Qaeda, ISIS, and those who are radicalized by them.
  Here in the Senate, we also have an incredible responsibility not 
only to make sure our country is protected but also to ensure we live 
up to the promises made to our veterans. These men and women are 
trained and have selflessly sacrificed in defense of our freedoms and 
our way of life. However, we must ensure that our veterans are prepared 
to transition back to civilian life. They deserve nothing less than the 
benefits they were promised and a quality of care we can all be proud 
of.
  Unfortunately, that has not been the case. According to the VA, there 
are approximately 22 veteran suicides per day. We hear this number from 
time to time. But think about it--22 veteran suicides per day.
  In November 2014 testimony before the Senate Veterans' Affairs 
Committee, the VA's chief consultant for mental health said the average 
wait time for a mental health appointment at the VA is 36 days. We can, 
and must, do better for our veterans.
  If a non-VA mental health care professional can reach a veteran 1 
day, 1 week or even 2 weeks earlier than 36 days, Congress nor the VA 
should be an obstacle to affording a veteran potentially lifesaving 
mental health treatment.
  Veterans themselves are the only ones who know their mental health 
limit, and a veteran should receive the benefit of the doubt about 
where that limit is--not the VA.
  This is an issue that impacts all eras of veterans. Since coming to 
Washington, I have heard from many veterans on this very issue. One 
veteran in particular from the Vietnam war era admitted that he had 
twice attempted suicide. This veteran felt like he didn't have anywhere 
to go. We have to do better.
  Today, as my first piece of legislation in the Senate, I am 
introducing the Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act.
  This legislation provides an option for our veterans to receive 
mental health treatment until they can receive comprehensive mental 
health care at the VA. This authorization for mental health care 
provides a backstop--other than the emergency room--for our veterans. 
Ultimately, the ER should not be considered a backstop for delayed 
mental health care at the VA. Most veterans who seek mental health 
treatment at emergency rooms do so when they have reached the limits of 
their suffering.
  There is no acceptable VA wait time for mental health care for our 
veterans. The limits to how much suffering a veteran can endure simply 
cannot be accurately measured by the VA or by any medical professional.
  Specifically, this legislation puts veterans mental health care first 
and foremost, provides a backstop to VA mental health care, and 
prioritizes incentives to hire more mental health care professionals at 
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  The Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act does 
several things.
  First, it amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act 
of 2014 to where a veteran is instantly authorized non-VA care if the 
veteran provides an electronic or hard-copy statement in writing that 
he or she is not receiving adequate or timely mental health care at the 
VA. This eliminates the 40-mile and VA wait-time triggers for mental 
health care under the choice act.
  Second, it prioritizes incentives for the hiring of mental health 
care professionals at the VA.
  And third, it provides the VA 90 days to enact the program.
  I hope this legislation will receive broad bipartisan support because 
ensuring our veterans have access to the mental health care they 
deserve is not a conservative or liberal concept. It is not a 
Republican or Democrat idea. It is an American value.
  If we do not stand up for America's tenacious survivors, who will? 
Thanks to these brave men and women, we are able to stand on this floor 
and fight for our beliefs and ideals. These veterans fought for us and 
defended us tirelessly. They endured more than some of us can ever 
imagine. The invisible wounds of war can no longer go unnoticed. Now, 
it is our duty to do all we can to thank them and ensure they have 
access to the quality mental health care they deserve.
  God bless these men and women, and let us strive to do better for 
them.

                          ____________________