Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Bowman for organizing this hour to discuss such a critical issue, and I thank him for his leadership. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of the opportunity to shine light on this critical issue of mental health. Our children are our most precious treasures. For many of us, they are our reason why. Why we work two jobs. Why we go to school. Why we try to overcome personal challenges and become the best version of ourselves. Yet, our system is failing to help our dear children fight their own demons. From kindergartners to young adults, young people of all ages are struggling with mental health and that they are not being met with the services they need to be happy, to be healthy, and tragically, to save their lives. It is truly a crisis, and like most crises we face, the situation is worse for some communities than others, and certainly it is the case for communities of color. Here is a terrifying statistic: Black children under the age of 13 are twice as likely to die by suicide compared to their White peers-- twice as likely. Further, children who survive natural disasters--like many of my constituents in southeast Louisiana--are left with emotional scars that can impact them for their entire lives. A new study published by the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that the stress of experiencing a natural disaster during a pregnancy can substantially increase the risk of childhood depression and anxiety.…”