Chris Van Hollen: “I rise in support of H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. Mr. Speaker, the measures in this bill…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. Mr. Speaker, the measures in this bill are designed to reduce the alarming incidence of suicides among our vets. According to a recent study conducted by Portland State University, male U.S. military veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as men who haven't served in the armed forces. The report is a painful reminder of why we must adopt the measures outlined in this bill to assist our military personnel returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The Portland State study followed 320,000 men over age 18 for 12 years collecting data on those who participated in the National Health Interview Survey. The researchers found that men who had served in the military at some time between 1917 and 1994 were twice as likely to die from suicide than men in the general population. In addition, veterans who committed suicide were more likely to be older, white, better educated, and married. But the report offered few clear indicators for the high suicide rates. That in part is the purpose of this legislation--to locate the root cause of the high suicide rates and to reverse the situation.”