Veterans

In July, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and Reps. Tim Waltz (D-Minn.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced the House version of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention For American Veterans Act (H.R. 5059). Susan Selke, the mother of Clay Hunt, a Marine veteran who died by suicide, was present at the bill introduction.

Susan Selke will be testifying Wednesday morning at the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) hearing on Mental Health and Suicide Among Veterans at 10 a.m. in Russell Senate Office Building SR-418.

“No family member or friend should have to experience losing another veteran or servicemember to suicide,” said Susan Selke. “Had this legislation been enacted earlier, Clay might not have fallen through the cracks. Our son could not get the help he so desperately needed and, like so many veterans, Clay was plagued with fighting through VA’s bureaucratic red tape. This bill gets us one step closer to reversing the suicide trend among veterans and changing the status quo. I urge the Senate to move quickly and pass this bill. Swift action is critical, as 22 or more veterans die by suicide every single day.”

IAVA urges supporters to visit iava.org and click take action to sign the petition to support the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention bill. To date, more than 43,000 people have signed the petition.

http://iava.org/press-release/mccain-blumenthal-burr-blunt-murkowski-and-manchin-introduce-clay-hunt-suicide-prevention-bill-of-2014/