[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 8, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REDUCING VETERAN SUICIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Underwood) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, last month President Biden announced a 
vision to advance progress on his Unity Agenda in the year ahead. I am 
encouraged by the agenda's focus on reducing veteran suicide, which has 
been one of my highest priorities since coming to Congress. I am 
encouraged by the specific focus on expanding outreach to justice-
involved veterans, who may be at even greater risk for suicide.
  In recent years, we have seen some signs of progress on this issue. 
From 2018 to 2020, age- and sex-adjusted veteran suicide rates fell by 
nearly 10 percent.
  However, with nearly 17 veterans still dying by suicide every day--a 
rate that is more than 50 percent higher than suicides among nonveteran 
adults--we know that we have much more work to do to save lives.
  Part of the administration's agenda is an important focus on 
increasing lethal means safety, which is an intentional, voluntary 
practice to reduce suicide risk by limiting access by those in crisis 
to lethal means, like medication, firearms, and sharp instruments that 
can be used to inflict self-directed violence.
  The data on lethal means safety are clear. People who reduce their 
access to lethal means during times of heightened risk are reducing 
their risk of dying by suicide.
  Given the robust evidence on the effectiveness of lethal means safety 
in preventing suicide, the Trump administration implemented a 
requirement for every clinician at the Veterans Health Administration 
to complete a lethal means safety training so that they would be 
prepared to have conversations with the veterans they care for about 
this lifesaving practice.
  Thanks to this requirement, nearly 100 percent of Veterans Health 
Administration clinicians have completed the Department's lethal means 
safety training. However, the training remains optional for all other 
staff, including at the Veterans Health Administration, Veterans 
Benefits Administration, vet centers, and vocational rehabilitation 
facilities.
  This lack of a mandate has consequences. Without a requirement to do 
so, a mere fraction of 1 percent of VA's nonclinical employees have 
completed the Department's lethal means safety training. What this 
means is that every day we have veterans who could be in crisis 
interacting with VA employees who might be able to identify risk 
factors and have lifesaving conversations, but these VA staff are not 
trained to do so, and we could be losing our veterans because of it.

  That is unacceptable, and that is why I introduced the Lethal Means 
Safety Training Act, which would make the Department's evidence-based 
training a requirement for all VA staff who regularly interact with 
veterans in their work, as well as community providers and family 
caregivers.
  I will continue my work to get this passed in Congress, but no 
legislation is needed to expand VA's existing training requirement to 
other VA employees. Unfortunately, the administration's announcement 
last month did not include any plans for the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to use his existing authority to expand the Department's lethal 
means safety training requirement.
  The Secretary of Veterans Affairs already has the authority to take 
this lifesaving action today, and I once again call on him to do so 
immediately. Every day that VA does not take this simple step is 
another day that we are leaving valuable tools in our toolbox unused. 
It is another day that we will lose nearly 17 veterans to suicide.
  Not every single death can be prevented with an expanded lethal means 
safety training requirement, but at no cost to the Department and with 
no need for additional legislation, there is no reason to further delay 
on implementing this policy.
  The Secretary has an opportunity to help save the lives of our 
veterans with the stroke of his pen, and I urge him to do so 
immediately, by expanding the Department's lethal means safety training 
requirement to all staff who regularly interact with veterans in their 
work. This step would build on the meaningful actions the Secretary has 
already taken and other steps announced by the President last month.

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