House again backs bill to lower suicide rate among vets.

[elleng]

Source: AP

For the second time in five weeks, the House has approved a bill aimed at reducing a suicide epidemic that claims the lives of 22 military veterans every day.

A bill named for Clay Hunt, a 26-year-old veteran who killed himself in 2011, was approved unanimously Monday.

The bill would require the Pentagon and the Veterans Affairs Department to submit to independent reviews of their suicide prevention programs and would establish a website to provide information on mental health services available to veterans. It also would offer financial incentives to psychiatrists who agree to work for the VA and assist veterans transitioning from active duty.

The House approved a virtually identical bill last month, but the measure was blocked in the Senate by then-Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6968e8b5dc0a4784a0e403d0c7b4fe18/house-again-backs-bill-lower-suicide-rate-among-vets

[rgbecker]

1. Did Coburn have a reason or was he just being an ass?

[elleng]

2. I vote for 'ass,'

never heard a 'reason.'

[mountain grammy]

4. I never heard a reason either. Good riddance Tom Coburn,

but I'm sure his replacement or several of the newly elected Republican senators are just as heinous.

[NYC_SKP]

3. 22/day. Thank you for posting.

[mountain grammy]

5. We need this bill, we need this bill, we need this bill...

[Thinkingabout]

6. It is about time, our veterans have put their lives in danger in duty to our nation and to turn our

Backs to them when we should be bending over backwards to see their needs are met. Veterans issues has gotten many letters fired towards my representative who just happens to be on the armed services committee and also both senators. Suicide has affected my family, none were veterans, it us sad and hard to deal with, it needs attention.