A bill aimed at improving mental health care and suicide prevention resources for veterans passed the U.S. Senate 99-0 on February 3.
Alaska’s junior Senator Dan Sullivan was a cosponsor and said his yes vote would represent Alaska, which proudly boasts on of the highest veteran populations per capita in the nation.
U.S. Sen. Sullivan: “And this is also a personal vote for me. It’s story that I don’t share lightly or often. As an officer in the Marine Corps, both on active duty and in the reserves, I have personally witnessed the struggles – at times tragic — that some of our servicemen and women undergo. The suicide of an outstanding young Alaskan Marine under my command still haunts me. You always wonder, could I have done more. With the proper awareness and resources, this Marine might be alive today. That’s why we NEED legislation like the Clay Hunt bill.”
The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act now heads to President Obama’s desk to be signed.
