Political Quotes

“I want to thank the distinguished chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Mr. Thornberry, for yielding. I am also grateful to Ranking Member Smith for the opportunity to discuss the issue of mental health treatment for our military servicemembers. I know we all care deeply about the health of our servicemembers. For those who have borne the battle, we share a commitment to come to their aid, whether their wounds are a visible amputation or the invisible problems of post-traumatic stress disorder. The statistics, as you know, are sobering: 22 vets die by suicide each day, and more than 600,000 vets are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Delivering proper treatment for mental health is really a matter of life and death. We can provide these warriors with treatment and medications they need, or we can continue to provide their families with folded flags and our condolences to their widows. But it is not enough to just provide a few limited medications, because people react differently to medication. Some medications can work well with one person or result in adverse side effects to another with the same diagnosis. Side effects may include drug-to-drug interactions, allergic reactions, excessive sedation, and weight gain, with increased risk of diabetes. That is why doctors must be able to choose the medication that fits for the soldier. But when DOD or the VA limits the choices, that puts soldiers at risk.…”