OBAMA, BARACK: Mr. President, toward the end
OBAMA, BARACK: of World War II, Norman Rockwell created a cover
OBAMA, BARACK: for the Saturday Evening Post titled ``Homecoming
OBAMA, BARACK: GI.'' It's a picture of a soldier returning from
OBAMA, BARACK: war. He has a duffle bag clutched in his left
OBAMA, BARACK: hand. He is looking up at the back of a brick
OBAMA, BARACK: building with laundry hanging from the back
OBAMA, BARACK: porch. A woman in an apron sees him with
OBAMA, BARACK: outstretched arms, and a young child races down
OBAMA, BARACK: the stairs. Everyone sees that soldier the
OBAMA, BARACK: neighbors' kids, the man fixing the roof, faces
OBAMA, BARACK: from another window and everyone welcomes that
OBAMA, BARACK: soldier who has come home from war.
OBAMA, BARACK: That's what our Nation did for the millions of
OBAMA, BARACK: service members who returned from the Atlantic
OBAMA, BARACK: and the Pacific. We watched them come home in
OBAMA, BARACK: waves. Some were just as strong as their first
OBAMA, BARACK: day in battle; others limped. We saw them crowd
OBAMA, BARACK: Times Square. We saw them walk down Main Streets
OBAMA, BARACK: and sit on stoops. My grandfather, who fought in
OBAMA, BARACK: Patton's army, would often speak about this time
OBAMA, BARACK: as America at its finest. That homecoming didn't
OBAMA, BARACK: just happen; we were ready for it.
OBAMA, BARACK: Long before the beaches of Normandy were stormed
OBAMA, BARACK: and the last battle was fought, in 1943 President
OBAMA, BARACK: Roosevelt said, and I quote:
OBAMA, BARACK: "Among many other things, we are, today, laying
OBAMA, BARACK: plans for the return to civilian life of our
OBAMA, BARACK: gallant men and women in the armed services. They
OBAMA, BARACK: must not be demobilized into an environment of
OBAMA, BARACK: inflation and unemployment, to a place on a bread
OBAMA, BARACK: line, or on a corner selling apples. We must,
OBAMA, BARACK: this time, have plans ready instead of waiting to
OBAMA, BARACK: do a hasty, inefficient, and ill-considered job
OBAMA, BARACK: at the last moment."
OBAMA, BARACK: These are the words of wisdom that we ignore at
OBAMA, BARACK: our peril.
OBAMA, BARACK: Today we have more than 631,000 veterans from
OBAMA, BARACK: Iraq and Afghanistan and other parts of the
OBAMA, BARACK: global war on terror. According to a recent VA
OBAMA, BARACK: health care report, one-third more than 205,000
OBAMA, BARACK: have sought treatment at VA health facilities.
OBAMA, BARACK: Even if the war in Iraq comes to an end soon--and
OBAMA, BARACK: I hope the Senate takes action this week to
OBAMA, BARACK: accomplish that goal--the war will live on with
OBAMA, BARACK: our service members and their families for the
OBAMA, BARACK: rest of our lives.
OBAMA, BARACK: Unfortunately, over the past month, we have all
OBAMA, BARACK: seen the disturbing pictures of neglect at Walter
OBAMA, BARACK: Reed. We have read about bats and bureaucratic
OBAMA, BARACK: red tape at the VA. We have seen too many stories
OBAMA, BARACK: about our veterans who have been forgotten not
OBAMA, BARACK: greeted by the Nation that asked them to serve.
OBAMA, BARACK: The time, Mr. President, has come for us to see
OBAMA, BARACK: this generation of veterans in all their valor
OBAMA, BARACK: and pain. We should provide them with a plan that
OBAMA, BARACK: is worthy of their courage and will help build
OBAMA, BARACK: back the military they love.
OBAMA, BARACK: That is what Senator McCaskill and I are trying
OBAMA, BARACK: to do with the amendment we offer today.
OBAMA, BARACK: First, we provide an additional $41 million to
OBAMA, BARACK: hire more caseworkers to assist service members
OBAMA, BARACK: navigating the military's bureaucracy. The last
OBAMA, BARACK: thing a wounded service member should have to
OBAMA, BARACK: face when they return home is a front line of
OBAMA, BARACK: paperwork and delay. Right now, the
OBAMA, BARACK: caseworker-to-service-member ratio at Walter Reed
OBAMA, BARACK: is 1 to 50. Caseworkers help recovering soldiers
OBAMA, BARACK: schedule appointments, take care of their
OBAMA, BARACK: everyday needs, and fill out paperwork. Military
OBAMA, BARACK: caseworkers are overwhelmed. I understand the
OBAMA, BARACK: Army is reducing the caseworker-to-service-member
OBAMA, BARACK: ratio to 1 to 17, and I applaud this move. Our
OBAMA, BARACK: amendment would help the military achieve this
OBAMA, BARACK: goal at all military hospitals.
OBAMA, BARACK: Our amendment also provides $30 million for the
OBAMA, BARACK: Armed Forces to create an Internet-based system
OBAMA, BARACK: for service members to submit their paperwork
OBAMA, BARACK: electronically. No longer will amputees and
OBAMA, BARACK: service members in wheelchairs have to go to
OBAMA, BARACK: countless offices to fill out duplicative forms
OBAMA, BARACK: only to learn that the forms have been lost in
OBAMA, BARACK: Government bureaucracy.
OBAMA, BARACK: We also need to do more to increase the number of
OBAMA, BARACK: mental health crisis counselors available to
OBAMA, BARACK: assist recovering service members and their
OBAMA, BARACK: families. Too many service members are returning
OBAMA, BARACK: home with unmet mental health needs--stresses
OBAMA, BARACK: that are often experienced by their family
OBAMA, BARACK: members.
OBAMA, BARACK: That is why our amendment provides $17 million
OBAMA, BARACK: for more mental health crisis counselors.
OBAMA, BARACK: While we all praise how our country treated the
OBAMA, BARACK: service members returning from World War II, we
OBAMA, BARACK: must remember the lessons after Vietnam. The
OBAMA, BARACK: landmark National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment
OBAMA, BARACK: Study was congressionally mandated in 1983, 15
OBAMA, BARACK: years after the height of that war. The completed
OBAMA, BARACK: report showed the vast majority of Vietnam
OBAMA, BARACK: veterans had successfully acclimated to postwar
OBAMA, BARACK: life.
OBAMA, BARACK: We can't wait 15 years to plan and prepare for
OBAMA, BARACK: the readjustment needs of the service members
OBAMA, BARACK: returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The average
OBAMA, BARACK: age of a service member deployed since September
OBAMA, BARACK: 11 is 27. The average age of our Guard and
OBAMA, BARACK: Reserves is 33. Sixty percent of those deployed
OBAMA, BARACK: have family responsibilities, and 47 percent of
OBAMA, BARACK: those who have died have left families. Mr.
OBAMA, BARACK: President, 160,000 women have been deployed, and
OBAMA, BARACK: 10 percent of those women are single mothers.
OBAMA, BARACK: These men and women are going to face real
OBAMA, BARACK: challenges in readjusting to normal life.
OBAMA, BARACK: Our amendment would provide for a study by the
OBAMA, BARACK: National Academy of Sciences of the mental health
OBAMA, BARACK: and readjustment needs of returning service
OBAMA, BARACK: members. This study will assist the Department of
OBAMA, BARACK: Defense, the Veterans' Administration, and
OBAMA, BARACK: Congress in planning for the long-term needs of
OBAMA, BARACK: our veterans.
OBAMA, BARACK: Last week I met a woman at Walter Reed. She is
OBAMA, BARACK: one of the 160,000 women who have been deployed,
OBAMA, BARACK: and she suffers from post-traumatic stress
OBAMA, BARACK: disorder. Most of us associate PTSD with men in
OBAMA, BARACK: combat, but many of the women in theater face
OBAMA, BARACK: firsthand dangers in their combat support roles.
OBAMA, BARACK: Driving a truck in Baghdad is one of the most
OBAMA, BARACK: dangerous missions around, and that is considered
OBAMA, BARACK: a support role. Women are witnessing the horrors
OBAMA, BARACK: of improvised explosive devices and the horrors
OBAMA, BARACK: of losing fellow service members, and too many
OBAMA, BARACK: are experiencing the trauma of sexual harassment
OBAMA, BARACK: or abuse.
OBAMA, BARACK: This young woman was very scared. She trembled as
OBAMA, BARACK: we spoke. I asked her what we could do to help.
OBAMA, BARACK: She said that she could not handle group therapy
OBAMA, BARACK: sessions; she could only tolerate one-on-one
OBAMA, BARACK: sessions with counselors. Her experience is
OBAMA, BARACK: shared by many women. Treatment for women with
OBAMA, BARACK: PTSD, especially sexual abuse victims, is very
OBAMA, BARACK: different from treatment for men.
OBAMA, BARACK: That is why as part of our amendment we want to
OBAMA, BARACK: provide $15 million to address the unique mental
OBAMA, BARACK: health needs of women. This funding will ensure
OBAMA, BARACK: the development and implementation of a women's
OBAMA, BARACK: treatment program for mental health conditions,
OBAMA, BARACK: including PTSD. It will also include the hiring
OBAMA, BARACK: and training of sexual abuse counselors so that
OBAMA, BARACK: the service members who suffer from this trauma
OBAMA, BARACK: do not have to suffer in silence. We can do this
OBAMA, BARACK: for the woman I met at Walter Reed and the
OBAMA, BARACK: thousands who suffer like her.
OBAMA, BARACK: The total cost, Mr. President, of our amendment
OBAMA, BARACK: is $103 million--less than one-tenth of 1 percent
OBAMA, BARACK: of the total cost of this bill. That is the least
OBAMA, BARACK: we can do for our service members recovering at
OBAMA, BARACK: Walter Reed and other military hospitals.
OBAMA, BARACK: I am proud that Veterans For America has endorsed
OBAMA, BARACK: our amendment, and I ask unanimous consent that
OBAMA, BARACK: their letter of endorsement be printed in the
OBAMA, BARACK: Record.