[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 187 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5705-H5707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





ENCOURAGING THE CONNECTING OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES IN THE UNITED 
     STATES TO SUPPORT STRUCTURES NECESSARY TO TRANSITION FROM THE 
                              BATTLEFIELD

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 848) encouraging the connecting of members of the 
Armed Forces in the United States to support structures necessary to 
transition from the battlefield.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 848

       Whereas the number of suicides of members of the Armed 
     Forces serving on active duty increased to 377 in 2020, an 
     increase from 348 in 2019;
       Whereas the suicide rate for veterans has steadily 
     increased since 2006, with 6,261 veterans taking their own 
     lives in 2019;
       Whereas, after adjusting for sex and age, the rate of 
     veteran suicide in 2018 was 27.5 per 100,000 individuals, 
     higher than the rate among all United States adults, which 
     was 18.3 per 100,000 individuals;
       Whereas more veterans have died by suicide in the last 10 
     years than members of the Armed Forces who died from combat 
     in Vietnam;
       Whereas many of the veterans who take their own lives have 
     had no contact with the Department of Veterans Affairs;
       Whereas the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic 
     can lead to increased isolation and disconnection, further 
     exacerbating mental and physical ailments such as post-
     traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note 
     that law enforcement officers and firefighters are more 
     likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, and 
     emergency medical services providers are 1.39 times more 
     likely to die by suicide than members of the general public;
       Whereas invisible wounds linked to an underlying and 
     undiagnosed traumatic brain injury can mirror many mental 
     health conditions, a problem that can be addressed through 
     appropriate medical treatment; and
       Whereas additional research is needed to highlight the 
     connection between traumatic brain injury as a root cause of 
     invisible wounds and suicide by members of the Armed Forces 
     and veterans: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) encourages all individuals in the United States, 
     especially members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty 
     and veterans, to call a warrior, have an honest conversation, 
     and connect them with support, understanding that making a 
     warrior call could save a life; and
       (2) implores all individuals in the United States to commit 
     themselves to engaging with members of the Armed Forces and 
     veterans to promote solutions and treatment for the invisible 
     scars that members of the Armed Forces carry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. 
Res. 848.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 848, and I thank my 
fellow veteran, Representative Van Orden, for his leadership on this 
resolution.
  As the chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I believe that 
we should celebrate the service of our veterans every day, not just 
like we did this weekend for Veterans Day. Every day, I am grateful to 
our veterans for their service to our country.
  That is why this resolution is so important. Too many of our veterans 
are suffering in silence. Too many of our veterans are struggling to 
find their way. We owe it to them to do our part and reach out to let 
them know they are not alone.
  This resolution encourages all Americans to connect with the persons 
in their lives who have served and offer a listening ear. 
Representative Van Orden's resolution implores all Americans to help 
servicemembers and veterans find solutions and treatment for the wounds 
of battle that may not be visible. This resolution also highlights the 
importance of taking care of our brothers and sisters in arms before, 
during, and after their service.
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my colleague for introducing it, and I 
urge all Members to support it.
  To any veteran who may be watching, please reach out to talk. Hope 
and help are available by dialing 988 and pressing 1. We need you, and 
we want to help you.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H. Res. 848, 
encouraging the connecting of members of the Armed Forces in the United 
States to support structures necessary to transition from the 
battlefield.
  While I support this resolution and urge my colleagues to vote in 
support of it, I must register my disappointment that this is one of 
only two veteran- or servicemember-related measures that House 
leadership has chosen to work on this week, the week following Veterans 
Day.
  The resolution asks members of the public to join Congress in 
thanking and supporting servicemembers in their transition out of the 
military into civilian life. That is worthwhile, but it does not come 
with any concrete action.
  Our committee has favorably reported several bills to help our most 
vulnerable veterans. Those bills are waiting for action and have been 
for months now. If we really wanted to honor servicemembers and 
veterans, we would be voting on those bills this week.
  Mr. Speaker, we know that homeless veterans are eight times more 
likely to die by suicide, so we urgently need to get homeless veterans 
housed before the coldest and cruelest months of the year come upon us. 
Every day we fail to act, more disabled and elderly veterans are forced 
into the care of nursing homes and other institutional long-term care 
settings, even though they would prefer to be taken care of at home 
surrounded by their loved ones.
  Let me also point out that while I find it telling that while 
jurisdiction over this resolution about servicemember transition lies 
primarily with the House Armed Services Committee, the House Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs is here managing floor time. I am glad for this 
because our committee has been pushing to take primary oversight 
responsibility for the administration of the TAP program for years.
  We hear from countless veterans that the administration of TAP by DOD 
falls flat. DOD is focused on readiness and making sure that 
servicemembers are focused on their mission of protecting our country, 
as they should be. Nevertheless, the bookend to that mission is helping 
servicemembers find success as civilians.
  Because DOD has not focused on that transition, too many 
servicemembers separate from the military without a full picture of the 
earned benefits available to them as veterans, and it leaves them more 
vulnerable at an already stressful time.
  I believe that it would make more sense for us to have primary 
jurisdiction over the TAP program to make sure the transition from the 
military to civilian life is as smooth as possible. We work with VA on 
healthcare and benefits delivery every single day, and we are better 
positioned than the Armed Services Committee to ensure veterans 
understand what life will look like out of the military.
  Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see House leadership acknowledging our 
leadership role in the transition of servicemembers. I will continue to 
advocate that TAP be included as primarily within the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee's jurisdiction in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Van Orden for introducing this 
resolution, and I hope we can continue working together on continued 
improvements to the TAP program.
  I urge this House to bring up additional veterans bills. We should 
not only thank veterans and servicemembers for their service. We should 
be backing up those thank-yous with action.
  As we face yet another threat of a shutdown, I hope this Congress can 
stop operating from the brink and begin to do the work that is demanded 
of us. It is what we owe to veterans, and we should not abide by 
reneging on our promises.

[[Page H5706]]

  Mr. Speaker, I support H. Res. 848, but let's act on more than the 
words of a resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, while I understand the concerns of the minority, I would 
remind the minority that both sides of the aisle on this committee are 
committed to this legislation. The Colmery Act and reducing veteran 
homelessness is a priority for us, and now that the House is back in 
business, I hope to see it on the floor very soon.
  Mr. Speaker, if 208 Democrats had put their country first and not 
voted for the chaos of the 3 weeks of being without a Speaker, then 
maybe they have a complaint. Nonetheless, now, because of that chaos, 
maybe we would have already had these things picked up. I disagreed.
  I look forward to working with both leadership and the minority to 
pass it out of the House with bipartisan support.
  Mr. Speaker, I also respectfully remind the ranking member that 
Speaker McCarthy's proposal to increase the grant per diem rate during 
the COVID pandemic would have helped address this problem. However, 
Democrats, who were in the majority at the time, made us reduce the 
rate and put veterans homelessness providers in the situation we are in 
today with GPD. Rates are not in line with rising inflation.
  We have been very successful in making smart investments in the VA 
program in recent years to reduce veteran homelessness. I agree with 
the minority that now is not the time to take our foot off the gas. I 
will agree with them on that.
  Important legislation, such as Representative Chavez-DeRemer's bill, 
is one of the best ways to build our success and get veterans housed, 
which is why we are not going to stop improving these programs now.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I will get back to the resolution we have 
in front of us.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Van Orden), who is the sponsor of this resolution.
  Mr. VAN ORDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my resolution, 
H. Res. 848, urging all Americans, especially those who have worn the 
uniform, to reach out and connect with a fellow warrior.
  In my 26 years of service, 22 of which I spent as a Navy SEAL, I have 
forged unbreakable bonds that only those who have served truly 
understand. These bonds are not predicated on politics. They are based 
solely on service over self. I don't ever recall asking a fellow 
servicemember what party they were affiliated with, only if they could 
perform the duties that were expected of them by their fellow 
Americans.
  During my service, I bore witness to the greatest virtues that can be 
attributed to the human condition. I have also witnessed the profound 
sense of sorrow when we lost one of our own.
  Among those whom we lost is my friend and former teammate, Navy SEAL 
Ryan Larkin, who tragically took his own life on April 23, 2017. Ryan's 
story speaks to the silent battles faced by many servicemembers and our 
veterans.
  However, out of that darkness that is Ryan's loss, the Warrior Call 
resolution was born. It was inspired by Ryan's father, Frank Larkin, a 
former Navy SEAL and the 40th Sergeant At Arms of the United States 
Senate. His sincere wish is that no parent, spouse, friend, or teammate 
should ever again have to experience the loss of a loved one due to 
suicide. This resolution reflects the ongoing need to support those who 
grapple with isolation and mental health challenges.
  Every year, our Nation sets aside a day for the men and women who 
gave their lives for freedom, and that is Memorial Day. For those who 
previously defended our freedoms, that is Veterans Day. For those who 
are currently defending our freedoms, that is Armed Forces Day.
  This resolution serves a different purpose. It pays tribute to those 
we have lost by trying to prevent those who have come through the 
crucible of service from taking their own lives.
  Every day, over 20 veterans commit suicide. We have lost more 
veterans to suicide in the last 10 years than we have in the cumulative 
total of all combat losses during the Vietnam war. We are doing 
something wrong, and it is time for a change.
  Preventing veteran suicide is my number one legislative priority in 
terms of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee on the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee being led by Chairman Bost. I am thankful to my fellow 
Members from both sides of the aisle and Ranking Member Levin for 
showing such commitment to this noble cause.
  We know that one of the first outward signs of suicidal ideation is 
self-isolation, and that is why it is so critical that our veterans get 
involved in veterans service organizations and the VA itself. 
Nevertheless, not all Americans have access to VSOs or the VA, and this 
resolution empowers them to help end the scourge that is veteran 
suicide by simply picking up the phone and checking in with a warrior 
they have in their life, whether it is a brother, sister, friend, or 
neighbor, and have an honest conversation with them.
  They will let them know that they are important to them and that they 
truly do value the veteran's sacrifice. It puts meaning behind the oft-
spoken phrase: ``Thank you for your service.''
  I acknowledge that there is a lot more work to be done with the VA, 
with the Transition Assistance Program, and in how medical and mental 
health services are provided. We are working on those every day. They 
take time, but we can do this now.
  If we can put aside our differences and understand that by passing 
this resolution we could save even a single veteran's life, then all 
the time we spend here arguing with each other just might be worth it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support my resolution to recognize 
the selfless gift these individuals have given us.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
What I would like to do on the floor today is not more bickering and 
arguing. It is a plea. It is a plea to the Speaker and the leadership 
of this House to bring the home act to the floor. It is a Republican 
bill. It is a bipartisan bill. We can do more than this resolution. 
With all due credit to my colleague from Wisconsin for this resolution, 
we can do more than words on a resolution. We can take action.
  We can help veterans who are going to be forced out of aging at home 
and into a nursing home. We can help those veterans stay in their homes 
with the legislation offered by my colleague from California, Julia 
Brownley, the Elizabeth Dole act.
  Mr. Speaker, let me respond to my colleague, the chairman. I did not 
bring up the issue of the lost time with a Speakerless House. I would 
reject the suggestion that the 21 days we lost of floor time was 
because Democrats voted to do what they would normally do, which is 
they vote for their own nominee for Speaker.

                              {time}  1730

  I am not even arguing about lost time. I am arguing that we do have 
time that could be better used.
  Instead of endless 2-minute votes on amendments that both sides have 
voted against stacked on top of each other, we could have used that 
time to bring the HOME Act to the floor. We could have used that time 
to bring the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act to the floor.
  Both bills are bipartisan. Both bills have wide support by the 
veterans service organization community. I just say to the chairman--
and I know the chairman himself has urged the Speaker to do this--my 
question is, even with all of these useless votes on amendments, we had 
time this week. We had enough time to bring those bills to the floor. 
Let's bring them to the floor immediately. We need to get veterans 
housed before the winter sets in.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of the 
resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in 
supporting the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, the ranking member knows that H.R. 542, the 
Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act of 2023 has my full support, but in spite 
of the incredible efforts to get a realistic CBO

[[Page H5707]]

score, the bill still comes with a cost and the cost is one that we 
need to resolve, along with the Toxic Exposure Fund, or the TEF issue.
  We are working closely with our Senate counterparts to get this bill 
and several other high-priority pieces of legislation through both 
Chambers by the end of the year, and you know that I support them.
  Mr. Speaker, let me talk about the resolution that is in front of us. 
I do know and understand that this is an excellent bill, and I 
encourage all Members to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 848.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________