Gus Bilirakis: “This is a real problem in this country. We have a mental health crisis, and, collectively, these bills address that. So…”

“This is a real problem in this country. We have a mental health crisis, and, collectively, these bills address that. So I thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing these bills to the floor. Let's get them through today, and then passed in the Senate and have the President sign because it will make a real difference in the lives of these people who are suffering with mental illness. Madam Speaker, our Nation remains in the midst of a suicide crisis. Over the past several decades, the suicide rate has risen sharply, increasing by 31 percent since 2001, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death, and claiming an estimated 47,000 lives annually. A 2016 study found that 11 percent of all emergency department patients exhibited suicidal ideation. However, only 3 percent of those patients were diagnosed by current screening tools. Furthermore, about 70 percent of patients who leave the emergency department after a suicide attempt never attend their first outpatient follow-up appointment. This is just reality, and we have got to do something about this.…”