Political Quotes

“Thank you for your service to our Nation as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. As a veteran, I deeply appreciate all you have done and will do until the end of your term. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of this en bloc amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act because it contains an amendment I offered which provides servicemembers diagnosed with a mental health condition who have been discharged access to a physician with special mental health training to provide an additional level of expert review on appeal. According to the Congressional Research Service, from 2001 to 2011, well over 900,000 servicemembers were diagnosed with at least one mental health condition. While the majority of those diagnosed were able to continue serving, many were ultimately discharged from the military either directly for their mental health issues or for conduct linked to those diagnoses. Current law insufficiently equips servicemembers diagnosed with a mental health disorder during appeal of a discharge. My amendment corrects this injustice and ensures fairness for those suffering from mental health issues as a result of their service to our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this en bloc amendment.”