Benishek sponsors Veteran assistance legislation

WASHINGTON, DC: Dr. Dan Benishek (MI-01) has sponsored bipartisan legislation to make it easier for military veterans who suffer from mental and emotional trauma to get proper therapy when they return home.

“Sadly, many of our guys and gals who return home from serving our country suffer from the mental wounds of war. Having treated vets in the U.P. for 20 years, I know these invisible wounds can be very painful. It’s critical that we ensure veterans have access to the proper mental health care. Our veterans have served us, and we need to always be looking for ways to better serve them,” said Dr. Benishek, the father of a Navy veteran and a doctor who worked at the VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain for 20 years.

The legislation, sponsored by Dr. Benishek and introduced by Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), will allow military veterans with certain security clearances to receive one-on-one therapy sessions, rather than simply being treated with group therapy. Some veterans have concerns with being treated in group therapy sessions and become frustrated with the process.

Military veterans comprise 14.4 percent of the population of Michigan’s First Congressional District. Dr. Dan Benishek is Michigan’s only member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.