The Peru Gazette

From the office of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is an original cosponsor to the Veteran Suicide Prevention Act. In September 2019, the VA released an alarming report showing that at least 60,000 veterans died by suicide between 2008 and 2017. On average, that is nearly 20 veterans per day who took their own life. This legislation, led by Congressman Pete King (D-NY), directs the VA to compile a publicly available review of suicides by veterans in the last five years. The review will include, but will not be limited to, total number of veteran suicides, demographic information, information on VA diagnoses and medication prescriptions, number of veterans with combat experience or trauma, and recommendations to improve the safety and well-being of veterans across the country.

“The alarming uptick in suicides by veterans is a public health crisis,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “As a result of their service, our veterans are subjected to many different stressors on a daily basis. I believe that when they return home from serving our country they deserve to have the best mental health care available. This legislation will be key to help us understand how to best understand the needs of our veterans to combat the growing number of veteran suicides through whatever means necessary. We are all forever indebted to those who chose to serve our country, and I am honored to fight for their well-being in Congress.”