Political Quotes

“Today I rise to welcome encouraging news from the Army on a problem our military has faced for over a decade, the increase of suicides. It was announced today that, for the first time since 2004, suicides in the Army have decreased. In 2013, there were 150 suicides in the Active Duty Army, down 19 percent from the 185 in 2012. This is great news, but it is just a first step and a lot more must be done. Mr. Speaker, even one soldier taking his or her own life is a tragedy, but 150 is still an epidemic, especially where one in five were never deployed. That number increases further if you include the Guard, Reserves, and other services. Not only must Congress do more to address this issue, this country needs to focus more on the overarching issue of mental health. As this Congress moves forward, I will continue to work on this issue and intend to introduce legislation again dealing with mental health assessments during initial enlistments. We must keep faith in the promise to take care of these individuals who stepped forward to serve our Nation. ____________________”