[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 145 (Monday, September 26, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H5907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         VETERAN SUICIDE CRISIS

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I am holding here in my hand a wristband 
that was given to me over this weekend. It says: ``22 every day.'' 
Unfortunately, shamefully, this is in reference to the number of 
veterans that commit suicide in this country every day.
  There are many reasons, but one of the reasons it should not be is 
that, A, they could not get through on a telephone call to somebody at 
the VA; or that they had given up hope that they were going to have 
their needs met after the promise that was made to them wasn't kept 
because they could not get what they needed for their health care and 
for other benefits that were promised them as being members of our 
military.
  So my hat is off to AMVETS and many other folks, including people out 
there on social media, that are dedicated to doing 22 push-ups a day to 
get awareness up amongst their friends for the loss of approximately 22 
veterans per day on suicide.
  We have to get our act together here and pass legislation to make 
sure they at least will get their phone calls answered, especially at a 
time of crisis like that, when they are contemplating perhaps a 
suicide.
  Mr. Speaker, this needs to be done soon and with the dedication that 
they have given to us.

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