has made important strides in the treatment of ptsd. they boast providers throughout the nation who provide excellent care for ptsd and researchers have found innovative new treatments as well. but v.a. can't combat ptsd alone. organizations throughout the country are dedicated to doing their part. welcome back veterans has answered this call to service. the partnership between major league baseball, the mccormick foundation, the entertainment industry foundation and the university hospital at cornell, the university of michigan, stanford university and the massachusetts institute of technology has already made tremendous accomplishments on behalf of our veterans. they have raised over $15 million for ptsd treatment and research and are working closely with hospitals in massachusetts, new york, michigan, and california to help provide care to over 5,000 service members. but for all the great things that welcome back veterans has accomplished, i know they are poised to do so much more. they are committed to continuing to work hard to car

. >> host: ptsd? this. >> guest: myself? not formally diagnosed. i had a rather hairy experience in chad in the summer of 2008 and came home feeling not quite like myself. and managed to, you know, through the help of family and good friends and a lot of beer managed to right myself, i guess. i don't think that the trauma i've experienced compares to what an american soldier who spends 15 months on deployment in afghanistan or iraq, my experiences don't compare to that, but sure, sure, i've had some stress. >> host: we're going to put the numbers up on the screen in case you would like to talk with david axe about how journalists cover war and how it effected them. these are pictures here, these are drawings of when david axe went home to detroit. and what i noted on these is that you slept in quite late every morning, and you didn't look like you were terribly thrilled about anything. >> guest: you mentioned ptsd. probably the worst i've had was in 2008. prior to that i was in somalia in late 2007 and also a very difficult place to work. and came

>> i think definitely the ptsd and tbi is more of a life thing. but the walking i think we can overcome and just take it for what it is and be glad that i'm still here. >> so tbi, traumatic brain injury, how are they getting the help and is it better now than it was? >> well, that's getting a lot better than it ever was before. you know, this was such a mystery when we came into this war. we did not anticipate that there would be so many of these injuries in terms of ied explosions, what we call invisible injuries, these wounds that you can't see sometimes so those that have it, there's still the stigma problem. people don't want to talk about that they've got it. it's changing very quickly. as that happens and we learn more about the brain, we know about the liver and kidneys but we don't know much about the brain. that's much better but it will take some time. >> in terms of the attention that the american people are paying to this, many are out of sight and out of mind. i also want to play what the corporal said about that. >> do you think us i

post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly those who have combat, and we need to recognize that that ptsd addition to the alcohol and drugs, also affects not only the individual but that individual's family. so, as a society, we have an obligation to our men and women who served to make sure that we're addressing the full range of issues associated with their homelessness, or their alcohol and drug use, or their post-traumatic stress disorder. and the family members who've supported the individual who served who may be affected by that sort of dislocation may need special services dealing with that. so when we're talking about services, we're talking about that full range of things. one of the, i think, fortunate things is the amount of growth in the federal investment in programs that serve the homeless veterans. and of those, i think the most important development is the, the expansion of permanent supportive housing options for people who are veterans and who are homeless, and the veterans' affairs supportive housing program is one of, i think, the most promising models that have arise

them this weekend, about nondiscrimination briefs, suicide prevention and awareness, awareness of ptsd. what's going to happen is, when repeal is instituted, it will be essentially, probably, a bullet point or there will be training guidance to leadership to say it is no longer okay to discriminate or to have an arbitrary discharge based on one's orientation. it doesn't allow for bad behavior. and everyone's still responsible, under the uniform code of military justice. and everyone still has to follow uniform conduct. >> bob maginnis, lieutenant colonel, there is a code of conduct, for all serving in the military, whether heterosexual or homosexual or gay. >> there's no question about it. we do abide by the rules that that civilians set forth. and ultimately, those admirals and generals are going to take orders and do their absolute best. the question comes up of what general casey said the other day in testimony. are we putting too much of a burden on our young people at a time of war? and he said, look. something's not going to get done. and senator levin was very angry about that.

-- not ptsd, post soul disorder or the works of the phenomenal lady in her book. >> thank you.. is there a question you would like to pose to the panel? >> if there is one more book. we listened, but why can't we listen to the children? the people who really get it, the little grandmothers and grandfathers. to restate the question, how can we in this country best do, caring means sharing the burden? going to ask that the panel hold that question and please step of to the microphone and ask your question and then we will get the final comments. >> my question for you is what has been your biggest obstacle in conveying these messages and what have you come across as ignorance or lack of knowledge in regards to child soldiers? what has been your biggest issue in conveying this message? >> let me start by saying that we have to start doing something. when i watched the poem i had tears all around. the story of these kids, i saw my mother is being bombed. we have to connect with one another. we hope that we do not only listen to one another, we hope we connect. so that when we finish

ptsd but post- soul, tear soul disorder in his book, war in the soul, long with many other books such as dream healing or the works of a phenomenal lady in her book titled sacred message down under. >> is it a question you would like to pose? >> yes, there is. >> thank you. >> there's one more book i would like to share with and that's somewhat slantted titled on killing by lieutenant colonel grossman. we listen but why can't we list ton the children? the people who really get it. the little grandmothers and grand fathers. ok? so to restate the question, how can we in this country best do to quote soldiers heart message caring means sharing the burden? why aren't there -- >> thank you. and i'm going to ask that the panel hold that question and ask if you please to step up to the mike and ask your question, and then we'll get the final comments from the panel. >> my name is she'lla i'm a master student here. my question is what has been your biggest obstacle in conveying these messages? and what have you come across as maybe if it's ignorance or just lack of knowledge in regards to chi

. >> the reason lacy's in on the bad things that came back, ptsd was the big, big thing. >> reporter:to help american vets living on the street. >> we haven't sacrificed anythingere with the men and women sacrificed for us that go over and serve. >> reporter: couple considers the veterans they helped family. >> they are not alone. military is a family. being at lacy's house, that's what i try to bring back to have them remember that they are still family. >> reporter: and they help meet their needs, driving them to appointments. >> you have everything you need? >> reporter: spending time together and working to pay for the home. >> you guys each find a fir tree. >> reporter: lacy and mike make a daily trip with some of the vets to cut down donated christmas trees, which they will sell to make money for lacy's house but despite their efforts, the home was recently forced to downsize from 30 beds to ten. >> when someone comes to the door and they need another -- a police to stay it is really hard to turn someone away when i don't have any room left for them. >> reporter: because very of

we negotiated that omnibus, it is time to make sure that those veterans and those who need ptsd recovery and those who need health care are rewarded or given it in the omnibus bill. happy holidays, merchant marine and happy new year's. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise? the gentlemanis recognized. >> madam speaker, what does the congress owe the american people? mr. himes: i think it will owe a person who will agree to sacrifice his or her life the right to serve. the republicans all but a handful of courageous republicans disfree. i think that it owes a child brought here by their parents by a country they don't dorpte know who speaks a language they don't speak the opportunity to serve to get a degree, to ultimately become an american. the republicans disagree. but i know, madam speaker, that we owe those brave responders who went to the site of 9/11 and risked their health and risked their lives to serve others in this nation's moment of pain, we owe them health care. the republican party disagrees an

providing timely and world-class care for veterans and members of the armed forces suffering from ptsd and related psychiatric disorders. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the resolution as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion -- mr. quigley: mr. speaker, i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote is requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 409, the nays are zero. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspen

in my experience and i have dealt with many veterans who have ptsd.that person is busy and their mind is occupied, many of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress are cured. many times, a job, a purpose, be entrusted with responsibility again will cure most of their post traumatic stress for their many stereotypes out there because there have been movies made. people say they are violent and dangerous but that is incorrect. there is a minute percentage of veterans who are violent. they may be emotional and that is about it for a i have never seen anyone hurt someone else. there should be no stereotypes about hiring a veteran who has post-traumatic stress. when they have responsibility again, most of those symptoms will be cured. these are men and women trusted with millions of dollars in equipment and responsibility more than any civilian. they come home in this economy and they can get a job waiting tables. it is a difficult situation and a normal person who has not been to combat may be a little a emotional during that time of their life, as well. hos

we have literally hundreds of thousands of new veterans, many with brain injury, many with ptsd, post traumatic stress disorder, and we have veterans aging from vietnam and even earlier wars, obviously. so we have tremendous need and we put in billions of dollars into especially mental health care of our nation's veterans. we wrote a g.i. bill for the 21st century. which matched the g.i. bill really from 1944, the original g.i. bill. i don't know about you, mr. speaker, but i'm hear because of the g.i. bill. my dad came back from the war, got some education, we were able to buy a house. we were middle class for the first time in our life because of the g.i. bill. like eight other million families who took advantage of that. so we have brought those benefits in line to what it really cost to go to college. we have worked on homeless veterans, we have worked on women veterans, as you've seen today. we have tried to improve access for rural veterans. so we have done quite a bit. i'm looking forward to working with our counterparts in the new congress to continue the progress that we have

in my experience and i have dealt with many veterans who have ptsd. when that person is busy and their mind is occupied, many of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress are cured. many times, a job, a purpose, be entrusted with responsibility again will cure most of their post traumatic stress for their many stereotypes out there because there have been movies made. people say they are violent and dangerous but that is incorrect. there is a minute percentage of veterans who are violent. they may be emotional and that is about it for a i have never seen anyone hurt someone else. there should be no stereotypes about hiring a veteran who has post-traumatic stress. when they have responsibility again, most of those symptoms will be cured. these are men and women trusted with millions of dollars in equipment and responsibility more than any civilian. they come home in this economy and they can get a job waiting tables. it is a difficult situation and a normal person who has not been to combat may be a little a emotional during that time of their life, as wel