Political Quotes

“Mr. President, unfortunately, rates of suicide have risen to epidemic levels in the United States, with suicide now the tenth leading cause of death in the country. On average, there are 129 suicides every day, roughly one every eleven minutes, a staggering statistic. That is why I am pleased to be introducing the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act with Senator Moran to help turn the tide on this increasingly dire situation. This legislation would provide $568 million in new funding over five years for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, delivering an infusion of new funds to help improve call capacity, make improvements to the Lifeline, and make the switch to a new, easy-to-remember, three- digit number, 9-8-8. The Lifeline has long been underfunded, but we have worked on a bipartisan basis to more than double the funding over the last three years. However, much more is needed, and this new legislation will help build on these efforts to ensure that the Lifeline is able to answer the calls of those seeking help. In 2019, 47,500 Americans lost their lives to suicide. That same year, there were 1.4 million suicide attempts. We must renew our efforts on suicide prevention. In 2004, working with my colleague, former Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, we authored the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.…”