Erik Paulsen: “Those who sign up to serve and defend our country deserve our respect and support when they return home. Sadly, there is…”

“Those who sign up to serve and defend our country deserve our respect and support when they return home. Sadly, there is a crisis in our country when it comes to our veterans' health care. With an average of 22 veterans a day taking their own lives, we are failing them. That is why Congress took action to pass the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act so as to improve mental health care services and suicide prevention programs at the VA and at the Department of Defense. By establishing pilot programs to recruit and keep psychiatrists and to establish support networks for veterans, the Clay Hunt SAV Act will help servicemembers transition to life after the military. The bill is named after Clay Hunt, a brave soldier who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Tragically, Clay took his own life when he returned home. I want to thank my Minnesota colleague, Tim Walz, for his leadership on this issue, and I encourage the President to quickly sign this legislation into law and get our veterans the support that they deserve. ____________________”