Moore's opening statement as prepared is as follows: "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank you for holding this oversight hearing on economic risk factors for veteran suicide. "While progress has been made in the past few years, the United States is still in an active epidemic of death by suicide. These tragic actions disrupt families and can shatter lives. We know that stressors on all Americans are growing, and veterans are not immune to them. "In my home state of Alabama, we have a proud military tradition with more than 9% of our citizens having served our country. Unfortunately, the veteran suicide rate is even higher in Alabama than the national average and significantly higher than the national civilian average. "To address this epidemic, The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs created Alabama’s Challenge initiative which is aimed at combating the stigma veterans face with mental health in addition to providing information about suicide, employment opportunities, and mental health resources. "I was honored to attend the first stop on Alabama’s Challenge statewide tour that took place in my district in Dothan. It was great to see so many people come together with the common goal of supporting veterans and their families, while providing veterans with a job fair and other valuable resources. "Too often, we view improving mental health as the only tool in our toolbox for preventing veteran suicide. This is simply not the case. I am glad that we are here today to look at economic risk factors, as it is important to ensure that we work to eliminate stressors on veterans related to housing, employment, hunger, and self-worth. "While veteran unemployment has decreased to the pre-pandemic levels that were achieved during the Trump Administration, it does not tell the whole story. We all know that the Biden economic agenda has forced millions of Americans to tighten their belts as inflation continues to rise unabated. From the gas pump to the grocery store, veterans and their families are feeling the pain. To combat this burden, V.A., Labor, and other agencies will need to reexamine every economic program they administer to ensure that they are meeting the needs of veterans. I am looking forward to hearing from V.A. about their implementation of the transition and employment provisions from the Isakson-Roe legislation that was signed into law last Congress, as well as other programs that will promote economic security for veterans. "I was disappointed with the testimony from the Federal agencies on the first panel. Their written statements read more like a regurgitation of the programs they offer and promised collaboration through interagency working groups. We need more than promises and work groups if we are truly going to get a handle on this epidemic and save veteran lives. It was disappointing that these written statements said very little about whether these programs and work groups actually prevent suicide. More emphasis must be placed on collecting meaningful data on these programs and holding them accountable for improving outcomes so we can ensure we are not just sending good money after bad. "While it is certainly worthwhile to conduct oversight on the programs that can improve economic worth and prevent suicide, I do want to make sure we strike the right balance and avoid perpetuating the “broken veteran” narrative. We know that veterans have lower rates of unemployment and are more successful in higher education than non-veterans. They are the best of this nation and not the ticking time bombs that some portray them to be. Nonetheless, it is critical that we do what we can to reduce the stigma of veterans standing up and asking for help, regardless of if it is for their mental health or finances. It really is okay not to be okay. "If you are a veteran who is watching this right now who needs help, please know help is available to you anytime by calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1; texting 838-255; or visiting www.veteranscrisisline.net. "With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back." | 
