Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2147, the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act. For many veterans, the transition from military service has been successful, with few challenges. However, that is not the case for all veterans. Unfortunately, for some veterans, the integration into civilian life has been met with difficulties, complications, and being caught up in the criminal justice system, often due to undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues attributed to multiple combat tours. {time} 1600 The Veteran Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018, H.R. 2147, assists criminal justice-involved veterans in getting the help they need to navigate the justice system and receive much-needed services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. H.R. 2147 authorizes the Secretary of VA to hire an additional 50 Veteran Justice Outreach specialists to support the existing VA Veteran Justice Outreach program. The veteran treatment court model helps prevent the unnecessary incarceration of veterans who have suffered mental health issues, substance abuse, and homelessness related to the military service. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2147 to better meet the needs of the program and provide much-needed services to more veterans in need.”