Gabby Giffords: “we have before us today an excellent piece of legislation, the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act, that I believe will help…”

“we have before us today an excellent piece of legislation, the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act, that I believe will help untangle problems in military health care such as the ones that we recently saw at the Walter Reed Hospital. This legislation came before us in the Armed Services Committee recently, and I am convinced that the provisions will dramatically improve the treatment for our brave, wounded servicemembers and their families by the Department of Defense health care system. One issue of particular importance that was addressed in this bill is the mental health services and screenings that we will provide to our troops. I want to thank Members for supporting my amendment, that directly impacts mental health treatment for our men and women in uniform. Ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating a brand-new generation of veterans, many have seen extreme stresses of war. According to the VA, post-traumatic stress syndrome rates are starting to appear about 20 percent. You look back during the Vietnam War era, those rates were close to 30 percent. So, I believe we are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg. PTSD is an issue that will face thousands of American combat veterans for years into the future. This legislation will help ensure that these soldiers don't face this problem alone. I am proud to vote with my colleagues from the Armed Services Committee to report this bill favorably to the House.”