President Obama on Thursday signed a $24 million bill aimed at preventing suicide among military veterans.
The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, named after a 28-year-old Marine Corps veteran who took his life in 2011, after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, calls for external audits of suicide prevention programs in the Veterans Affairs Department to determine which efforts are successful or should be cut.
{mosads}It also creates a centralized website detailing mental healthcare services available from the VA and starts a three-year pilot program to repay student loan debt for those who study psychiatric medicine and commit to working for the agency.
“Today we honor a young man who isn’t here but should be here,” Obama said during a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House. “Clay had already done a great deal of good in the world and the truth is he was just getting started.”
Obama said it is a “national mission” to make sure veterans receive the help they need to transition to civilian life.
More than 8,000 veterans commit suicide every year, according to VA estimates.
Obama said the legislation would help fill “critical gaps” but warned that it is not a “complete solution.”
Hunt’s family attended the ceremony, along with first lady Michelle Obama, Veterans Affairs Department chief Robert McDonald, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), as well as the leaders and members of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs panels.
The Senate voted 99-0 to pass the legislation last week; it cruised through the House in a 403-0 vote last month. Former Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) had blocked the bill in December, arguing its costs should be offset.
Jake Wood, co-founder and CEO of Team Rubicon and who served alongside Hunt in Afghanistan, said the bill signing “marks a historic event for the veteran community.”
Obama also pleaded with veterans to seek help if they need it, arguing it is not a sign of weakness.
“If you are hurting, know this, you are not forgotten,” he said.
This story was updated at 3:33 p.m.