Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act. I am honored to have my bill, H.R. 721, the Mental Health Services for Students Act, included in this package. Today is a historic day in recognizing the need for more comprehensive school-based mental health resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of our nation's children and youth and added additional stressors that have significantly strained and continues to strain their mental health and well-being. Children and youth across the nation continue to confront the traumatic challenges of this pandemic, including disruptions to their lives, fear and anxiety about the virus, and the tragic death of loved ones. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental health disorders are chronic conditions that, without proper diagnosis and treatment, can lead to problems for children at home and in school, interfering with their health and future development. H.R. 721 acknowledges this problem by providing $130 million in competitive grants for school-based mental health programs nationwide. It expands the scope of the Project AWARE program by providing onsite licensed mental health professionals in schools across the country. H.R.…”