SUICIDE PREVENTION FOR OUR VETERANS

SUICIDE PREVENTION FOR OUR VETERANS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 41 (Wednesday, March 4, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 4, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2376-H2377] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SUICIDE PREVENTION FOR OUR VETERANS (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our veterans. They protect us in conflict. They wear the uniform. They stand watch in places that most of us will never see, and then they come home to stand in line. In my district, the wait time for new mental health appointments is 31 days. It is 31 days. When you are battling an [[Page H2377]] invisible wound, 31 days isn't a wait list. It is a countdown or even condemnation. We say that the statistics have gotten better, but better is unacceptable. There are more than 16 million veterans in the United States. More than 1.5 million veterans call Florida home. They are our neighbors, our children, and our parents. Still, on average, one veteran dies by suicide every 65 minutes. By the time we go to bed tonight, 17 chairs will sit empty at dinner tables across America. That is 17 folded flags and 17 families staring at their phones that will never ring again. It is not because they weren't strong enough. It is not because they didn't fight hard enough, but it is because we didn't fight hard enough to give them the services that they deserve and need. If we can send our sons and our daughters into harm's way, then it is our duty to ensure that they have access to counseling, crisis services, and the dignity of timely care when they come home. To our veterans who are watching, they are not alone. Their service mattered, and in this Congress, their lives matter during and after, too. Mr. Speaker, our veterans are not lost, and they are always in our hearts. They upheld their duty to us, and now it is our duty to uphold our promise to them--not in 31 days, not tomorrow, but today and now. To all of our veterans and our VSOs who are here visiting on the Hill, we thank them for their service and their courage, and we will never stop fighting for them until we fulfill our promise to them. ____________________