Veterans Mental Health Screening and Assessment Act

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 471) expressing sympathy to the victims, families, and friends of the tragic act of violence at the combat stress clinic at Camp Liberty, Iraq, on May 11, 2009, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a tragedy our Nation experienced on Monday, May 11, 2009, at the combat stress clinic in Camp Liberty, Iraq, when a soldier reportedly killed five innocent American servicemen and wounded three others.

The shooting resulted in the tragic loss of Navy Commander Charles K. Springle, Army Major Matthew P. Houseal, Army Sergeant Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, Army Specialist Jacob D. Barton, and a native of my district

and Maryland's Eastern Shore, Specialist Michael E. Yates.

This resolution expresses heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this tragic act, and it conveys Congress' ongoing deep gratitude for all of the brave members of our Armed Forces who have risked their lives in the service of our Nation. This resolution also recognizes the important work of medical professionals and staff who provide essential mental health services to servicemen and women at Camp Liberty and at other clinics both in theater and at home.

Now is the time to give increased attention to the mental health challenges faced by the courageous members of our Armed Forces, especially given our Nation's protracted military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our servicemen and -women and their families make extreme sacrifices each day in order to keep our Nation safe. Honoring our commitment to those who serve our Nation means not only offering first-class medical care for physical injuries but also in providing first-class mental health services.

Congress must commit to focusing on both the mental and physical well-being of the Nation's active military as well as of its veterans, and it must commit to supporting the policies, resources, and funding necessary to successfully combat the mental and physical health care challenges that they may confront.

As a result of this tragic accident, Maryland's Eastern Shore lost a native son in Specialist Michael Yates of Federalsburg. Growing up on the Eastern Shore, Michael was an avid hunter and fisherman. Like many of my constituents, he held a deep love for his country and a desire to serve in the defense of freedom. At the young age of 17, Michael joined the Army. He was then sent to Fort Knox, Germany and then to Iraq where he served as a cavalry scout. Michael had recently returned to Federalsburg where he was able to visit with family and friends one last time before returning to Iraq and ultimately to the counseling center at Camp Liberty.

It was here that a fellow soldier, whom Michael had described to his stepfather as a ``fairly decent guy who had some major issues,'' reportedly shot and killed Michael.

We must make soldiers' and veterans' mental health a priority and heed Secretary of Defense Gates' recommendation to support funding for traumatic brain injury and psychological health exams for our servicemen and -women.

We owe this to Specialist Yates, to Commander Springle, to Major Houseal, to Sergeant Bueno-Galdos, and to Specialist Barton, as well as to the friends and families of those involved in this tragic event.

We owe this to each and every brave soldier and their families who make sacrifices daily and face the intense stress that comes with the defense of our Nation.

House Resolution 471 was introduced along with fellow colleagues who lost constituents in this incident honoring their service and recognizing mental health issues among servicemen and veterans. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution in honor of the those who lost their lives and all who serve in our Armed Forces.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), as much time as he may consume.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland, the gentlewoman from Oklahoma.

This resolution, H. Res. 471, is a resolution that deserves all of our support. The legislation expresses our sympathies to the five victims and their countless friends and families of the violent acts that took place at Camp Liberty in Iraq in May. Many of us have been there many times.

These are senseless deaths. In a book that just came out 2 months ago, Joshua Cooper Ramo, ``The Age of the Unthinkable,'' wrote, Our old way of war is increasingly useless. It is senseless to aspire to periods of peace on Earth during the lifetime of anyone who reads the book unless we begin to change how, where, and why we do fight.

These deaths took place at a very particular spot at Camp Liberty, and both the gentlewoman and the gentleman who spoke of the names and places where these five soldiers came from are on the Record.

One of these soldiers, one of these brave men, came from the city I have lived in all my life. Army Sergeant Christian Bueno-Galdos was 25 years old. I honor, and we all honor, his sacrifice and his service. It exemplifies the deep sense of commitment that so many immigrants have for America. He was the youngest of four. He was born in Peru, and came here when he was 7 years old. He and his family settled in a gray house in a neighborhood I grew up in--Paterson, New Jersey. It was just across the street from the county road department in south Paterson.

He attended high school at Passaic County Tech. After graduating, he considered studying premed but instead decided to serve his country and joined the U.S. Army Reserves. It was in this service to his Nation that Sergeant Bueno-Galdos became a citizen of the United States of America. He went into the service before he was a citizen. His dedication and love for this country was so great, he voluntarily signed up for a second tour of duty. How many times have we heard this?

Then, on May 11, Sergeant Bueno-Galdos tragically lost his life, and Paterson and New Jersey and the United States lost a fine citizen. His parents first considered laying him to rest in their home country of Peru. But upon reflection of their son's love of America and commitment to this great Nation, Sergeant Bueno-Galdos was laid to rest in New Jersey with full military honors.

So we extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt gratitude to his surviving wife Greisyn, his mother Eugenia, his father Carlos, and his three siblings.

Sergeant Bueno-Galdos was a courageous soldier, a loving husband, a son, a brother, a fine American citizen. He will be greatly missed but never forgotten in Paterson. We have already erected a monument on Memorial Day for him.

But my friends, today something else happened. We promoted from Lieutenant Colonel, Mike Jaffee, who is now a full Colonel in the Air Force. Dr. Jaffee is a neurologist, psychologist. He's a leader in the Department of Defense to respond to traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder. Isn't it ironic that these killings took place in

a stress area where American soldiers were trying to help those in need?

Twenty percent of those who have fought, who have been on the front lines, whether in Iraq or Afghanistan, have posttraumatic stress disorder. Most are misdiagnosed, most are undiagnosed, and the stigma is slowly peeling away. They need our help. Their families need our help.

So not only did we go into a war unprepared, but we did little for those who put their lives on the front line while we, supposedly gray men, decided where they would go and when they would return and how many times they would return to the battlefield. We are fools, to say the least.

We need to think about what's going on. These brave men and women have taken the entire burden while we act as if nothing happens. These senseless deaths will not be forgotten.

I ask all of us to vote for this legislation and remember their families

God bless America. Thank you.

Madam Speaker, I am here today to lend my support to House Resolution 471 expressing my sympathy to the victims, the families, and the friends of the victims of the tragic act of violence at the combat stress clinic at Camp Liberty in Iraq on May 11, 2009. And, Madam Speaker, it is with deep sadness that we come to the floor of the House of Representatives today to recognize five of our brave members of our Armed Forces who answered the call of duty and ultimately gave their lives to preserve our freedom and our way of life.

We may never understand what led to the tragic events at Camp Liberty, but what we do know is that five honorable men lost their lives; men who were husbands, who were fathers, sons, and brothers: Navy Commander Charles K. Springle of Wilmington, North Carolina; Army Major Matthew P. Houseal of Amarillo, Texas; Army Sergeant Christian E. Bueno-Galdos of Paterson, New Jersey; Army Specialist Jacob D. Barton of Springfield, Missouri; and Army Specialist Michael E. Yates of Federalsburg, Maryland.

Madam Speaker, there is no question that serving in combat is a profoundly life-altering experience. Men and women who face the challenges of combat are forever changed, and our Nation is eternally indebted to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who fight to preserve our freedoms. But we also owe them more than just our gratitude. We owe them our commitment to protect them and to provide support and services to help them deal with the emotional and physical effects of combat.

And with that, I would like to extend my personal deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the servicemembers who lost their lives at Camp Liberty in Iraq on May 11, 2009, and would like to urge all Members of Congress to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, the tragic events that occurred at Camp Liberty in Iraq are a sad and prominent reminder that the mental health needs of our service men and women are simply not being met.

I have co-sponsored H. Res. 471 not only to express my sympathy, but because I know that such a tragedy could have been avoided.

A month ago, 46 of my colleagues in the House and I sent a letter to Chairman Murtha and Ranking Member Young of the defense appropriations subcommittee, supporting Secretary Gates' recommendations to increase mental health funding in the FY10 DOD budget by $300 million.

I hold fast to this request and hope that this increase will contribute to an increase in mental health professionals to treat the invisible wounds of our men and women in uniform.

Mental Health screenings should be confidential, mandatory and comfortable for those who have witnessed the unimaginable on the battlefield. H.R. 1308, The Veterans Mental Health Screenings and Assessments Act, which I have introduced with my colleague, Congressman Tom Rooney aims to do just this by eliminating the stigma of mental treatment through mandating screenings for all returning service men and women.

Again, my heart goes out to the families of the victims of the Camp Liberty shootings. We, in the Congress, must act to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again.

Through granting Secretary Gates' request and enacting H.R. 1308, we will ensure that the victims of the awful Camp Liberty tragedy will not be forgotten and hopefully, prevent such catastrophes from occurring in the future.