Steven Holt: “Madam Chair, we have few responsibilities as solemn and as important as ensuring that our veterans receive the care that…”

“Madam Chair, we have few responsibilities as solemn and as important as ensuring that our veterans receive the care that we have promised them as a Nation. To that end, my amendment directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to allocate $20 million for direct advertising, the use of online social media and other media for suicide prevention outreach. Let me take a moment to tell you why this issue means so much to me, and I would like to tell you about one very remarkable family from my central New Jersey congressional district. A little over a week ago, on July 14, I had the privilege of introducing Mrs. Linda Bean of East Brunswick, New Jersey, to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Linda was appearing before the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee to tell the story of how her son, Coleman, came to take his own life in September 2008.”