News
October 23, 2007
harkin: final passage of joshua omvig veterans suicide prevention act a victory for veterans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today released the following statement on the House of Representative’s unanimous passage of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. Harkin originally introduced this bill in the Senate to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to integrate mental health services into veterans’ primary care, and step up counseling and other mental health services for returning war veterans. The bill is named after Joshua Omvig, a soldier from Grundy Center, Iowa who took his own life after returning from Iraq. It is expected that President Bush will soon sign this bill into law.
“With the final passage today of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, our nation’s heroes will at long last get the much-needed mental health support they deserve. I have no doubt this bill is going to help save lives. I congratulate my colleague Representative Boswell for his leadership in passing this critical piece of legislation.
“Much of the credit for the final passage of this bill belongs to two people: Randy and Ellen Omvig. Faced with their son’s tragic death, the Omvigs took action, doing their best to ensure no other family will suffer this tragedy. By leading the fight to improve mental health services for our veterans, the Omvigs have helped to create a memorial to their son Joshua that will help countless American heroes successfully resume their lives at home with their families.”
