Rep. Kirkpatrick Introduces New Bill Pushing Washington to Keep Promises to Veterans on Mental Health Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Ann Kirkpatrick, who has been tirelessly fighting for Veterans in rural and Native American communities, today introduced legislation that will help ensure they can access the mental health care they deserve. Her Veterans Mental Health Professionals Oversight Act pushes the federal government to live up to its set standards for providing treatment and will help them improve services for our Nation's heroes.

The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify for the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees each year where they are employing enough mental health professionals - and where the benchmarks Congress has previously outlined are not being met. By highlighting how many positions at VA facilities are going unfilled and which facilities are significantly understaffed, this process will help force the Department to make up for the shortfalls.

This common sense provision would be particularly beneficial in District One, highlighting the chronic need of small towns and tribal areas.