WASHINGTON, DC – In case you missed it, yesterday Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) hosted a telephone town hall with Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost (IL-12) for veterans across Wisconsin’s Third District.
During the meeting, they covered a host of issues, including mental health, substance abuse, community care, and how Van Orden’s congressional office can help constituents experiencing issues with accessing their veterans benefits.
Van Orden’s top priority in Congress is preventing veteran suicide. During the town hall, the congressman answered a constituent’s question about supporting veterans with PTSD, saying: “It’s imperative that you reach out to these folks. I am shameless. When I find out if someone’s in the service, the first thing I ask them is, ‘how are you doing?’…Let these people know what you care about them…We have to quit pretending like this is abnormal to have these thoughts and feelings after we’ve been in combat. It’s imperative that we understand that this is a natural reaction to our chosen former vocation and needs to be approached as such.”
Van Orden’s District Office can help constituents who need assistance navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs or other federal agencies. Wisconsinites can find contact information on VanOrden.House.Gov.
