Rep. Ryan Zinke pushes for heroes to get treatment for wounds that aren’t ‘physical’

Former Navy SEAL Commander Rep. Ryan Zinke is leading a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate to push forward a new bill that would address the mental health crisis among American veterans by “streamlining” access to care.

The Protecting Veteran Community Care Act spearheaded by Zinke, R-Mont., and Air Force Veteran Donald Davis, DN.C., is designed to address the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA)’s persistent pitfalls — including extreme long waiting times and postponed appointments.

Including Zinke, the legislation has the support of all five former Navy SEAL legislators in Congress, including Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. .

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL commander who served in the military for 23 years, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that the bill is an opportunity for his fellow SEALs in Congress to “give back to the community we love.” to hold’.

“We want to offer our expertise to ensure that the mental health issues faced by veterans are addressed. There should be no casualties,” said Zinke.

“I think we probably trained harder than the SEALs today,” Zinke said, in part because of the rise of technology on the battlefield. The congressman spent most of his time learning how to integrate thermal optics and technological drones on the battlefield, then went into battle “occasionally,” he says.

Zinke added that his experiences over his 23 years in the military also contrast with the work of those who served in the Vietnam War and World War II — and differ from the experiences of newer veterans.

Due to the changing nature of combat, younger veterans have more difficulty “integrating back into society” after completing multiple trips abroad.

“They get taken out of service and then go right back in because they’re addicted to it and they feel like it’s their safe place, which is ironic,” said Zinke, who was a mission leader in Iraq.

New veterans also don’t participate in veterans’ clubs or the American Legion and therefore feel “separate,” because they are not connected, Zinke told DailyMail.com. “We have to do better.”

“I can’t tell you how many friends I’ve lost – the ones who suffered [traumatic brain injuries] TBI, anxiety or suicide,” Zinke continued.

“We want veterans to be productive members of society, to be confident, to be pillars in the community, and it’s hard to achieve that goal when you’re struggling with issues that can’t be addressed.”

He called the current politicization of veterans’ issues “unpleasant” as Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to cut the recently passed debt ceiling bill — which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has adamantly denied.

Zinke, who has proclaimed himself an “appropriation advocate,” added that Congress has been given the power by the founding fathers in Article I of the Constitution to put money on key priorities — in this case, access to mental health care that will reduce homelessness. help alleviate, suicide and a plethora of other problems.

The congressman — who was also a former Secretary of the Interior under President Trump from 2017 to 2019 — called the policy in the bill “impartial” and told DailyMail.com that the funding will be drawn from already-allocated funds that are currently untouched. .

Under the proposed legislation, veterans who meet criteria for priority admission — within 72 hours — will no longer have to wait for a VA mental health option when community care becomes available sooner.

In addition, it creates guardrails to prevent the VA from “undermining” community care access standards and also requires the agency to provide an annual update to Congress on how many community care eligibility decisions have been made.

Finally, any changes to community care access standards must first be approved by Congress before being passed.

The legislation specifically amends the 2018 VA “MISSION” Act to include access to mental health services.

“As a disabled veteran and representative of a large veteran community, I understand the challenges our military members face when they return from service — it’s not always physical or visible,” former Navy SEAL representative Luttrell said in a statement to DailyMail. com.

“When I talk to veterans in my ward, they always express concerns about wider accessibility and diverse forms of mental health treatment. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this legislation that will provide much-deserved faster and better quality care for veterans.”

Fellow former Navy SEAL Rep Dan Crenshaw added, “After returning home, many veterans still carry the weight of their service into their daily lives and face long wait times to use VA resources.”

Air Force Veteran Rep. Donald Davis, DN.C., Brad Finstad, R-Minn., Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., Michelle Steel, R-Calif., Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., Jeff Van Drew, RN.J., Daniel Webster, R-Fla., Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Kevin Hern, R-Okla., also joined Zinke and the former SEALs as original co-sponsors of the bill.

“Because many of our veterans live in rural areas, expanding access to convenient healthcare choices often means the difference between life and death,” Luttrell, also a former SEAL, told DailyMail.com

Former SEAL Van Orden added that he has seen “many friends on the unseen war wounds” and urged support for legislation that will hold the VA accountable.

An identical version of the bill was introduced in the Senate last week by R-Mont Senator Steve Daines.

“The VA’s mission is to ‘care for those who have served in our nation’s military,’ that is, to ensure that our brave Montana Veterans have access to the highest quality of care wherever they live,” Daines said in a statement.

“I will always work to protect Montana veterans’ access to health care in communities throughout Montana.”

An aide told DailyMail.com that the bill also has the support of major veteran groups, including the American Legion, Concerned Veterans for America and the Independence Fund.

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, and the White House last week announced a series of actions to “reduce the stigma” for military and veterans seeking mental health care.

The Pentagon issued a new policy last month that would make it easier for troops to refer themselves for a mental health evaluation.

“This policy, based on the Brandon Act, allows Service members to seek help confidentially, reducing stigma associated with mental health issues,” the White House said in a statement.

In addition, the VA has started a pilot program to expand mental health services to health care providers, including couples and family therapy.