Senate VA Panel Considering Next Steps on Suicide Prevention
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will discuss the path forward on a bill to strengthen suicide prevention efforts among military veterans next week, according to the panels chairman.
The committee will come together for an organization meeting next Wednesday, Jan. 21, which is when well take it up, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) told The Hill.
The House on Monday voted 403-0 to pass the legislation, which is named after a Marine veteran named Clay Hunt who took his life after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was blocked in the last Congress by then-Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).
The vote came after House leadership and the heads of the House Veterans Affairs Committee fast-tracked the legislation, which was originally supposed to be taken up by the panel in February.
Despite the House’s moves, Isakson doesnt plan to accelerate the bills timing in the Senate.
He said hes already spoken about the timeline with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), the panels top Democrat, as well as Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), who co-sponsored the legislation in the last Congress.
Everybodys on board, and well do it next Wednesday, Isakson said.
Tags: Veterans News
