KWQC: Sen. Ernst at the VFW in Muscatine

“US Senator Joni Ernst wants to get mental health care to veterans, right away. Ernst was at the VFW in Muscatine yesterday talking about new legislation. She says it's critical for vets seeking mental healthcare to get that help quickly, but the average wait time at the VA is too long - about 36 days. New legislation would allow veterans to go to another mental health provider in their home community if the waits is too long. Veterans in Muscatine say they support the bill – ‘for me, it took years to even admit I had a problem. years, before I sought treatment… a lot of veterans same way as me, you almost rather come home missing an arm, than having a problem in your head.’ [ERNST] ‘We know this is an issue. We are losing 22 veterans every day to suicide and if we can prevent that, we need to do that.’ Senator Ernst says several organizations are backing her legislation including the Wounded Warrior Project, and the Concerned Veterans of America, but she says it will still be a challenge to push the bill through.” (KWQC-TV, 4/1/15)