[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 151 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH

  (Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
important work being done at the VA to help prevent suicides.
  An estimated 45,000 Americans die each year from suicide. Roughly 
6,000 are veterans. That is over 16 per day, over 115 per week.
  Suicide is a national public health issue, and it is important that 
we educate ourselves on how to recognize the warning signs.
  In the spirit of Suicide Prevention Month, the VA has launched 
efforts to help deliver assistance to veterans, funding for additional 
research, strategies to educate communities about suicide prevention, 
and collaboration with public and private partnerships to implement 
tools to help curb suicides among our Nation's veterans.
  As a fellow veteran, I have seen firsthand some of the difficulties 
veterans face following their military service, and we owe to them our 
support after they have sacrificed so much. Veterans are all around 
us--neighbors, friends, and family members--and they deserve our utmost 
attention.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the VA for their support and their work 
in addressing this important issue.

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