Steube Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Honoring Veterans’ Families and Designating “Gold Arrow Families”
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution expressing support for naming family members of veterans who die by suicide as “Gold Arrow Families.”
“Often overlooked, veterans’ family members make a great sacrifice in service to our country,” Steube said. “Unfortunately, without the necessary assistance, sometimes this sacrifice ends up in tragedy for family members, like Army Specialist Ashley M. Taylor, who took her own life after her husband, Army Private Bailey C. Taylor, committed suicide. We all need to come together to not only raise awareness for the mental health issues affecting our veterans and their families, but also to provide crucial resources to those in need so we can prevent another tragedy like this again.”
This resolution seeks to promote awareness for the needs of the grieving family members who die by suicide and it would determine that suicides by veterans through the adoption of legislation that would provide Gold Arrow Families with resources to help them cope with their loss.
Original cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation include U.S. Representatives Bill Posey (R-Fla.), Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Thomas Tiffany (R-Wis.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), Tom O’Halleran (R-Ariz.), and Don Young (R-Alaska).
An average of 22 United States veterans commit suicide each day. According to the 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, the Veterans Crisis Line serves over 650,000 calls per year. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, calls to mental health crisis centers have increased in all communities, including among our veterans.
Last Congress, Steube cosponsored the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which designates 988 as a universal telephone number for national suicide prevention and a mental health crisis hotline. This hotline will operate through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line.
Steube has been an early supporter of many pro-veteran initiatives like H.R. 2333, the Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act, which was signed into law by President Trump in December of 2019.
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
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