Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, let me add to this. Yes, there was money in the Cures bill for opioid abuse for 59,000 people who had died from drug overdoses, but 350,000 people will die this year related to mental health problems. I want to make sure that Congress is not, once again, in a situation where we are having another moment of silence for some suicide, for some child or young adult that got violent and shot someone or ran their car into a crowd, or something else. We have got to start putting money into these programs. Five million dollars barely scratches the surface, but it is like that old adage of the man who came across a child throwing a starfish back in the ocean. The person said: ``You can never take care of all of them.'' But the child said: ``It will make a difference for this one.'' This will make a difference to a few children. How do we explain this to a parent whose child is suffering, who can't get services, that what we have is we couldn't transfer money within an existing account, it doesn't add any more, and it doesn't eradicate any programs, but it is something there especially at a time when this is so life threatening? You can't explain that to a mom or a dad. During all the time in the course of working this bill, we heard from thousands of people telling their horrific and sad stories. I spent the last 42 years of my life working as a psychologist. I have seen the faces of those who have gone to the funerals and seen those wasting away in prisons.…”