Grace Napolitano: “It is a bill designed to decrease suicide amongst our veterans. As you have heard, we have had the highest rate of…”

“It is a bill designed to decrease suicide amongst our veterans. As you have heard, we have had the highest rate of suicide of any other war. This is about soldiers like Michael, who returned from Iraq, went months on a waiting list from doctor to doctor without proper treatment, and when finally diagnosed, a week later he shot himself. This is about the two marines gathered at a muster in Long Beach just recently who were diagnosed on the spot with suicidal tendencies and were hospitalized immediately. This is about our local VFW seeing more and more young people seeking to get services for their mental well-being. This is also about our families becoming aware of signs to look for and where to find treatment. This is about providing the funding to help heal the mental wounds so that our warriors believe it is better to remain alive and not dead. What is more critical and more important? I urge my colleagues to vote in support of 327.”