{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://cartwright.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/rep-cartwright-applauds-passage-of-new-measure-to-prevent-veteran", "Rep. Cartwright Applauds Passage of New Measure to Prevent Veteran Suicides", "2014-12-09", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Matt Cartwright", "C001090", "cartwright.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright applauded the unanimous House passage of bipartisan legislation to address the epidemic of suicide among our nation\u2019s veterans.\u00a0\n\u201cOne veteran lost to suicide is one veteran too many,\u201d said Rep. Cartwright. \u00a0\u201cThis bipartisan legislation provides our heroes the care and support they have earned and deserve to overcome mental health challenges, traumatic brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder.\u00a0 I was proud to support this legislation to ensure our nation stands behind our brave veterans with compassion and dedication every day.\u201d\nTwenty-two veterans commit suicide every day \u2013 more than 8,000 every year.\u00a0 Of the more than 2 million Americans who have served in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is estimated that one-third, roughly 600,000 women and men, have traumatic brain injury, PTSD or depression.\u00a0 Named in honor of an Iraq and Afghanistan War veteran and noted suicide prevention advocate who took his own life on March 31, 2011, The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act (H.R. 5059) is another step toward ensuring our nation\u2019s veterans have the support they need by expanding access to and improving the effectiveness of mental health care for our veterans.\nThe Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act will establish a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning servicemembers with accessing VA mental health care services.\u00a0 To ease access to services, the bill will require the VA to create a one-stop, interactive website to serve as a centralized source of information regarding all mental health services for veterans.\u00a0 A student loan repayment pilot program aimed at recruiting and retaining psychiatrists included in the legislation will help address the shortage of mental health care professionals.\u00a0 To improve care, the legislation will require an annual, third-party evaluation of all mental health care and suicide prevention practices and programs at the VA to find out what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not.\u00a0\nThe bill was introduced by Representative Tim Walz (D-MN), the highest ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress and co-authored by Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Representative Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a Purple Heart recipient, Iraq War veteran, and member of the Army National Guard.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://cartwright.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/rep-cartwright-applauds-passage-of-new-measure-to-prevent-veteran"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1026500035077333, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}