On the recordFebruary 25, 2016
Let me close with these statements. With 60 million Americans out there with some form of mental illness this year and 10 million or so with severe mental illness, they all have families. I hope those families wake up and speak up. I hope they contact their Member of Congress. I know that mental illness can be treated, but it cannot be treated if we ignore it and it gets worse. I don't want more tragedies here. I hate to wish any of these tragedies on my colleagues in Congress, but I know it will happen. We will be here again for moments of silence. We will have more Members that face this suffering in their own families and in their communities, and we should not allow that. I hope that soon we can call forth H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, because to delay it is to cause more harm, to deny it is to cause more death. Let's finally do something to help turn this problem around with mental health in America. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________
