Political Quotes

“Today I want to address a topic of grave and tragic importance. Every 12 minutes in the United States we experience a suicide-related death; and, shockingly, for every suicide death, there are 25 attempts. These are heartbreaking statistics and, sadly, they hit very close to home. In Utah, for example, we have the fifth highest rate of suicide deaths in the country. These are our neighbors, our coworkers, and, in some cases, our family and our friends. I think that most of us, if not all of us, have been touched by some of these tragic stories, and I believe that we have a responsibility to do everything we can to help those in need. That is why I introduced the National Suicide Improvement Act earlier this year. This bill hopes to streamline and provide easy access to potentially lifesaving resources by designing a new, national three-digit dialing number similar to 911 for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. I believe this legislation has the ability to save lives and to benefit our loved ones who struggle with mental illness or suicidal thoughts. Let us do everything we can to help our fellow citizens who are in need, and that is what this legislation will do. ____________________”