[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 16, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E319-E320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         VETERANS WHO RETURN HOME WITH THE MENTAL WOUNDS OF WAR

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. RYAN A. COSTELLO

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 15, 2016

  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last year, Congress took 
an important step towards improving mental health services for our 
veterans. The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act 
was a landmark, bipartisan effort that improved suicide prevention 
programs and mental health care at the Department of Veterans

[[Page E320]]

Affairs (VA). I was proud to cosponsor and to vote in support of that 
legislation, but more needs to be done.
  You do not have to look hard to see the need for critical mental 
health care and services for our veterans. Among servicemembers 
returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, nearly 20% suffer from post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, and during deployment, 
18.5% report experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, only 
50% of servicemembers seek treatment. As a member of the House 
Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am working tirelessly to help those 
returning from the battlefield who face these mental health challenges.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress can combat PTSD and TBI through greater 
awareness, prevention, and research. We can work with the VA and 
interested stakeholders to take commonsense steps to address staffing 
shortages, improve family support services, and increase access to 
services during non-business hours.
  Likewise, we need to allow our veterans the freedom to receive mental 
health care at non-VA facilities. We cannot allow bureaucracy to stand 
in the way of veterans receiving the critical treatment and services 
they need. H.R. 1604, the Veterans Mental Health Care Access Act, 
introduced by Congressman MacArthur, would do just that. I am proud to 
cosponsor this legislation.
  Congressman Zeldin has introduced H.R. 4513, the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer 
Veteran Peer Support Program, to provide 24/7 peer-to-peer mental 
health services for veterans, reservists, and National Guardsmen. Our 
men and women in uniform deserve a strong support system, and this is 
one way we can ensure they have a trusted sense of community whenever 
they need it.

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