President Obama signed the Clay Hunt suicide prevention bill into law Thursday, touting the legislation as an important step ahead in saving veterans' lives.
But supporters said getting the measure finalized is only part of the work ahead.
"This bill is critical, but the message behind it is even more important," said Paul Rieckhoff, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "We've got your back. We need to be a country that stands up and says veterans' suicide is unacceptable."
Thursday's bill signing was the first legislative celebration for the White House since the new Republican Congress was seated last month. Obama and supporters said the quick passage of the legislation this year shows not only that bipartisanship is still possible in Washington, but also the importance of action on this issue.
"If you are hurting, you are not forgotten," Obama told a crowd of lawmakers and veterans advocates at the bill signing. "You are not alone. America is here for you."
VA officials estimate as many as 22 veterans a day commit suicide. Those deaths include not just troops who recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, but also troops from earlier eras still dealing with the invisible wounds of war.
The Clay Hunt bill, named for a Marine veteran activist who took his own life in 2011, requires new peer support programs, an annual evaluation of VA suicide prevention programs, better transparency of existing VA mental health resources, and funding to repay student loans for mental health professionals willing to work for the department.
VA Secretary Bob McDonald praised the law as one that helped raise public awareness on veterans mental health.
"Hopefully now we're going to begin the downturn in veterans' suicides," he said.
The Senate is expected to vote on suicide prevention legislation named for Clay Hunt, a service member who took his own life.
Photo Credit: IAVA.org
Jake Wood, founder of Team Rubicon and a close friend of Hunt, called Thursday's White House event a somber reminder of the challenges facing the military community. He said at least 15 Marines he served with have taken their own lives in recent years, a statistic that is both shocking to nonveterans he talks to and unsurprising to veterans he meets.
"It's an issue that needs to be on the forefront of everyone in America's minds," he said. "I hope this is the start of a real conversation."
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
