On the recordJuly 6, 2016
Today I rise in support of Representative Murphy's Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. Ten million Americans suffer from serious mental illness, Mr. Speaker. If they get care, they are 16 times less likely to harm themselves or others. Right now, too many patients fall through the cracks. At a recent roundtable in Medford, Oregon, and on a tele-townhall I just completed, I heard from parents about their children who experienced homelessness and violence due to their illness, from caregivers about the difficulty of getting timely care, and from law enforcement about how the default place for the mentally ill is often a jail. The consensus among all of them was that the healthcare system, the government, and society are failing those who need help the most. They overwhelmingly support the provisions in this legislation. We can improve treatment, we can and do boost resources, and we will get care to people in need, especially in our rural communities.
