WASHINGTON — Two Democratic senators yesterday called for the chief mental health official of the Department of Veterans Affairs to resign, saying he tried to cover up the rising number of suicides by veterans.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Dr. Ira Katz, the VA's mental health director, withheld crucial information on the true suicide risk among veterans.

"Dr. Katz's irresponsible actions have been a disservice to our veterans, and it is time for him to go," said Murray, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. "The No. 1 priority of the VA should be caring for our veterans, not covering up the truth."

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, the committee's chairman, said in a letter to Dr. Michael Kussman, VA's undersecretary for health, that Katz's "personal conduct and professional judgment have been called into question by his response to the mental health needs of veterans, and in particular to veteran suicides."

"I believe veterans, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, would be best served by his immediate resignation," Akaka said.

"America's veterans deserve mental-health care of the highest quality," he said. "Many veterans returning from combat have complex mental health needs, and VA must be fully able to meet those needs. VA cannot be complacent in its efforts to prevent veteran suicide."

A number of Democratic senators said they were appalled at e-mails showing Katz and other VA officials apparently trying to conceal the number of suicides by veterans.

An e-mail message from Katz disclosed this week as part of a lawsuit that went to trial this week starts with "Shh!" and refers to the 12,000 veterans per year who attempt suicide while under department treatment.

"Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before someone stumbles on it?" the e-mail asks.

Another e-mail said an average of 18 war veterans kill themselves each day — and five of them are under VA care when they commit suicide.

A VA spokesman declined comment yesterday.

"It is completely outrageous that the federal agency charged with helping veterans would instead cover up the hard truth — that more and more Americans coming home after bravely fighting for their country are suffering from mental illnesses and in the most tragic circumstances, committing suicide," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.

Harkin, Murray and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., introduced legislation yesterday calling on the VA to track how many veterans die by suicide each year.