Political Quotes

“I, too, rise on the issue of suicide. Every day in America, 129 people die by suicide. Over a single year, that is more than 47,000 souls, each an irreplaceable loss. Even more troubling, suicide is on the rise among teens, vets, and law enforcement. Between 2001 and 2017, the suicide rate increased by 31 percent. That year, 2017, saw 1.4 million suicide attempts in this country. These trends have many causes, and we must get to the bottom of them, but we can start saving lives today. Congress recently passed the STOIC Act, and the President signed it into law. This bipartisan bill will fund suicide prevention programs for law enforcement, where deaths by suicide now outstrip line-of-duty deaths. Gun safety legislation will also make a difference. Firearms kill 40,000 people each year, including 60 percent to suicide. Background checks and red flag laws save lives, but the Senate and the President have refused to act. We must call out their absence of action. Our country needs them to stand up. Our own colleague, Representative Susan Wild, recently lost her partner to suicide and has bravely described its devastating effects and now lifts her strong voice so that others will not suffer the same. Madam Speaker, it is time for us to act. ____________________”