4th District Congressman Jim Himes has voted in favor of legislation to address the epidemic of suicide among veterans. Himes says each day, 22 of America’s veterans take their own lives and this bill will improve the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health care available to returning heroes. 

The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act would establish a new peer support and community outreach pilot program for transitioning service members, among other initiatives. 

The bill, which passed the House of Representatives Monday, has been reintroduced in the Senate by Richard Blumenthal and John McCain.  It now moves to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for consideration.  The Act failed to win passage in the Senate last year by one vote. That lone senator, Tom Coburn, has retired.