Tina Smith: “there are many arguments hot and heavy being made today about the important issues that confront our country, issues…”

“there are many arguments hot and heavy being made today about the important issues that confront our country, issues about our security, about our troops, about the hot summer that is threatened by terrorists, about our economy and its recovery, and I know there are strong feelings on both sides of the aisle. But I hope today to show the American people that we are bigger than just partisans, that there are times when our Nation's elected officials can come together, put aside political and party differences, and actually debate and pass legislation. My bill that I am talking about now in the company of Mike DeWine, the Senator from Ohio--and I believe Senator Dodd of Connecticut will soon join us--is a bill, I suppose, on a smaller subject than war and peace and economic recovery, but it is nevertheless a bill about life and death, so it is important. It is not a far-reaching bill. It is not even all that expensive, certainly not in relationship to all that our Congress will consider, but it represents an important milestone in our country's battle against mental illness and specifically youth suicide.”