Vicente Gonzalez: “Today we speak about the most egregious acts from this administration, one after another after another, but I will not…”

“Today we speak about the most egregious acts from this administration, one after another after another, but I will not forget about our children. I rise today to tell my fellow Members of Congress that I am appalled over reports of the mistreatment and abuse towards children at the Shiloh Residential Treatment Center. The facility is under contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and located just south of Houston, Texas. The Shiloh facility is owned and operated by the same entity that formerly operated Daystar Treatment Center in Manvel, Texas. You may remember this place. Daystar was closed because of the way in which they physically restrained children that led to the death of three teenagers. In most cases, children were hog-tied. Now, instead of being hog-tied, they are drugging children into submission. One child was prescribed ten different shots and pills, including the antipsychotic drug Latuda, Geodon, and olanzapine. We are giving them Parkinson's medications, we are giving them pain medications, antidepressants, and cognizant enhancers. This is a disgrace. Federal District Judge Laughrey recently explained: ``Psychotropic drugs are powerful medications that directly affect the central nervous system. They are particularly potent when administered to children. . . . They are more vulnerable to psychosis, seizures, irreversible movement disorders, suicidal thoughts, and aggression. . . .…”