I just received a letter from Iowa Democratic Senator, Tom Harkin, who reintroduced this bill in the Senate earlier this year. The proposed legislation is named after a soldier from Grundy Center, Iowa who committed suicide shortly after returning from Iraq. The bill mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs commence screening soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan for signs of mental illness. Said bill also directs the VA to improve and increase counseling and other mental health services for returning war veterans.
While it has been noted that an increasing number of American troops are committing suicide in Iraq and Afghanistan, the DOD recently reported that the number of suicides among veterans who have returned home has increased also. The VA now estimates that more than five thousand veterans take their own lives each year in this Country. That is the highest level of suicides among veterans in twenty-eight years.
While Harkin introduced this bill in the Senate, Congressman Leonard Boswell introduced it in the House where it passed in March by a vote of 423 to 0. Two hearings were held this year in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to discuss the proposed legislation. Ellen and Randy Omvig, Joshua’s parents, were present at one of the hearings as they endorsed the legislation passionately.
Last month, a single Senator objected to passing this bill unanimously for unexplained reasons and so the bill and its measures have been put on hold. Senator Harkin has vowed to continue to fight for this legislation, which should have approved immediately.
The failure by Congress to pass this legislation is immoral and represents another grievous betrayal of our veterans by the government. Addressing the mental health needs of our returning veterans from the Middle East is imperative and would unquestionably save lives. It is an American tragedy at home built upon another tragedy in the Middle East.
The old cliché that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure certainly applies here. Not only does our Congress need to take responsibility for our injured and ill soldiers returning home, they need to stop the numbers from increasing by deploying our troops home this year.