WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Rosa. L. DeLauro (Conn.-3), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on the president’s Fiscal Year 2005 supplemental appropriations bill that passed the House. The supplemental calls for nearly $82 billion in spending, which will go toward increased spending for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, aid to tsunami victims and refugees in Darfur, and military equipment. DeLauro offered an amendment to the spending bill that would have increased mental health spending for returning veterans by $263 million to address post-traumatic stress (PTSD). According to the Army, as many as one-in-six returning soldiers suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and more than 500 soldiers have been evacuated from Iraq for mental health reasons since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“Our country has a moral obligation to our troops in Iraq, to the victims of the tsunami, and to the peacekeeping efforts underway in the Sudan. This bill will provide many of these much-needed resources – for this reason, I supported the supplemental spending that passed the House today.

“Yet our country also has an obligation to provide for the immediate mental health needs of our troops and their families - one that we are not fulfilling. An increase of 20 percent in spending on specialized post-traumatic stress programs within the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration would allow us to reach out to troops who may not have access to the care they need. And this additional funding would raise awareness of PTSD so family members could recognize the signs of this disorder and seek help for their loved ones.

“With troops returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, increased funding will help bridge the gap between these advancements and providing medical services to new veterans.”