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Senator Schaeffer urges faster VA claims processing and expanded mental-health care for service members and veterans
Summary
Senator Schaeffer told the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee that two companion resolutions urge Congress and federal agencies to expand access to qualified mental-health treatment for active-duty personnel and veterans and to shorten Veterans Affairs disability-claim processing times, citing VA and DoD data on suicide rates and backlog.
Senator Schaeffer presented sponsor testimony for two companion resolutions before the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee calling for improved mental-health care for active-duty service members and veterans and for faster processing of Veterans Affairs disability claims.
Schaeffer told the committee that Senate Resolution 21 urges Congress to support "prompt and comprehensive mental health treatment" for active-duty military and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other service-related stress disorders. He cited national data and agency reports indicating elevated suicide risk and other mental-health challenges among returning troops. "This is an issue that was brought to my…
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