The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act, also known as SAVES Act, is a bipartisan, bicameral legislation would establish a five-year, $50 million VA-administered grant program for eligible nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing service dogs to veterans. This includes individuals with disabilities like PTSD and traumatic brain injury. (Liliana Moreno/U.S. Air Force) As a combat veteran and a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I have witnessed firsthand the epidemic of suicide and its devastating impact on the veteran community. Too often I have heard of a fellow brother or sister in arms losing their battle with mental health.
This is a deeply personal issue to me. In Congress, it is my priority to represent the silent voices of those who are suffering alone. No veteran should have to face this battle by themselves; it is our duty to serve those who sacrificed everything for this country.
An estimated 17 veterans die each day by suicide — this is 17 too many. Our mission must be to eradicate suicide within the veteran community; anything less is unacceptable. These tragedies leave families devastated — mothers and fathers burying sons or daughters, spouses losing their partners, children growing up without parents, and a nation mourning. No one should have to endure such pain or ever be asked to carry that burden for the rest of their lives. Addressing the suicide epidemic must be everyone’s top priority. We owe it not only to our veterans but also to their families and loved ones. This is a battle we are losing every day, and it is a fight we cannot afford to lose.
While veterans make up just 8.2% of the population, they account for nearly 14% of all suicides nationally. In 2024, the Department of Veterans Affairs published its annual National Veteran Suicide Prevention report, revealing that in 2022, there were 6,407 veteran suicides. Suicide was the second leading cause of death among veterans under 45, with the highest rates occurring among those aged 18 to 34. The report also highlighted that 50.4% of veterans who died by suicide in 2022 had utilized Veterans Health […]
If enacted, SAVES Act can help turn the tide against veteran suicide
