WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, today Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) shared powerful remarks at a Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing discussing accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In the hearing, Van Orden read an email he received from the family member of a U.S. Army veteran who took his life after seeking mental health treatment from a VA facility and being turned away.
Watch the clip here, or read the transcript below.
Read the transcript:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for coming here today. I appreciate it greatly.
I’m a 100% service-connected disabled veteran and I get all of my health care through the VA. I want to share with you, and preface these comments, my comments that the vast majority of my experiences at the VA have been overwhelmingly positive and I’m very grateful for the staff throughout Western Wisconsin, including La Crosse, and the medical center in Tomah.
I’m very proud of them, however, we can all do better. That’s what we do as Americans. We continuously seek improvement, and in that spirit, Dr. Elnahal, I want to share with you how I spent my first day in Congress.
I got sworn in and received an email. I’m going to read it to you right now.
“So, my wife and I tonight attended my brother’s visitation, and I’ll be attending tomorrow, his funeral. He passed away on Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
He’s a Wisconsin-born, recently retired from the Army after 22 years. Currently residing in North Carolina, he leaves behind a beautiful wife and three beautiful young children. He went to the VA for help for mental health issues and was turned away.
He took his life the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and two days later a letter from the VA came in the mail accepting him. It was too late.
His name is Retired Major, I won’t read that publicly.
It should be illegal for the VA to refuse a soldier who is retired or active duty trying to get help from getting admitted. I’m requesting for you to work with your counterparts in North Carolina on some kind of legislation to prevent this from happening to another soldier or veteran again.”
I spent my first day as a United States Congressman calling the brother of this dead soldier. Calling the father of this dead soldier. Calling the widow of this dead soldier and apologizing profusely for the federal government’s inability to schedule a medical appointment.
This sits on my desk with this sticky pad. It says, “this is why I’m here.” And I know you’ve got a tough job. And I know that sometimes we can be distracted by the events, especially when you’re leading a huge bureaucracy like the VA.
So, I prepared this for you – bring that to him, please. Bring that to the doctor.
This is a copy of this letter, sir. You can put that on your desk. Or you can hang that on your way. There’s a blank sticky pad there and I think it would do us all well if you wrote on there why you’re here, and to never forget that.
So, things are going to be dark some days, people are going to get on you. I understand that. But every day when you wake up in the morning, me and my fellow millions of veterans throughout the United States of America, would be deeply grateful for you if you remember why you’re here.
And with that I yield back.
