[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 25 (Friday, February 8, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H1467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               AMENDMENT TO THE VETERANS' CHILD CARE ACT

  (Mr. HARDER of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HARDER of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
my bipartisan amendment to the Veterans' Access to Child Care Act, 
which I sponsored with my colleagues from New York, Antonio Delgado and 
Elise Stefanik.
  Our amendment guarantees that if our veterans suffer a mental health 
crisis, such as one caused by PTSD or depression, childcare for their 
kids is covered during the crisis.
  Let me tell you why this is so important to me and the veterans in 
our community.
  A few weeks ago, I visited the Stanislaus County Veterans Service 
Office and I spoke to multiple veterans suffering with mental health 
problems. A veteran in my district told me PTSD was his invisible 
injury.
  Roughly 20 percent of our veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan 
suffer from depression, PTSD, or traumatic brain injury. That is triple 
the national average, and it affects our communities in numerous ways. 
For example, in my district we struggle with veteran homelessness.
  So, today, we are doing something about it. This bipartisan amendment 
helps ease the pain of mental health emergencies for our veterans and 
makes sure their kids are taken care of.
  By passing this amendment, we can show our veterans, whether they are 
from Stanislaus County, Essex County, or Ulster County, that we can 
actually work together in a bipartisan manner to give them the respect 
and honor they have earned.

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