Brad Ashford: “I thank the gentleman for the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a subject many of our veterans and their…”

“I thank the gentleman for the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a subject many of our veterans and their families understandably find great difficulty in discussing. Veteran suicide, as we have already heard, is a major problem in our country. We have all heard the numbers. An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day. That is one life every hour. Please keep in mind those horrific numbers have names, the names of men and women who put themselves in harm's way in order to keep each and every one of us safe. Earlier this year we passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention of American Veterans Act. It addresses the need for more mental healthcare experts inside the VA along with expanding the time available to veterans to seek mental health care through the VA. The new law also calls for an evaluation of all VA mental health care and suicide prevention practices to determine what is working and make recommendations on what is not. This is a major step in the right direction, but we must continue to do more. I am proud to say, Mr. Speaker, that, in Omaha, we are currently working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a center of excellence, a national model for veterans' care that will include top- flight mental health care and other services so much needed by our veterans in our community. That treatment would cover post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and problems relating to other people.…”