Political Quotes

“Mr. Clay Hunt is a marine veteran who committed suicide in March of 2011 at the age of 28. Clay enlisted in the Marine Corps in May of 2005 and deployed to the Al Anbar Province near Fallujah in January of 2007. He was shot in the wrist by a sniper's bullet that barely missed his head, and it earned him the Purple Heart. Clay recuperated at Twentynine Palms, CA, and then graduated from Marine Corps scout sniper school in March of 2008, and he was redeployed in southern Afghanistan a few weeks later. His unit returned to the United States in late October 2008 and he was honorably discharged from the marines in April 2009. After he returned home, Clay suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. He struggled for many years and he struggled with inadequate care from his local VA hospital before taking his own life. The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act passed the House of Representatives a little while ago this week. I believe this is an important piece of legislation. I serve on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and we had testimony related to suicide prevention, suicide among our veterans, a few weeks back, and it is so clear in Kansas and across the country that many veterans and their families deserve something much more than we are able to provide--than we are providing now--and this legislation which will help in that regard deserves swift passage by the U.S. Senate.…”