Washington, D.C.-Today, Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY) delivered remarks in support of H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act.
The following are excerpts of their remarks, as prepared for delivery.
THE MENTAL HEALTH AND OVERDOSE CRISES
Leader Rodgers: “We’re taking urgent action to help states and communities provide lifesaving, mental health care to people in need, especially for our children and those suffering from severe mental illness. I think about Austin, a 9-year-old boy, who struggled to cope when his school was shut down and his parents were going through a divorce. He was isolated socially and didn’t know where to turn.
“When he confessed suicidal thoughts to his mom, they faced long waiting lists and no beds for the care he needed. Cases like Austin’s can’t be ignored.
“Parents, teachers, and medical professionals are talking about this everywhere I go. In Spokane, Washington, we’re seeing more violence in our schools and rising crime. Drug overdose deaths and fentanyl poisoning were up 300 percent last year.
“There’s an overwhelming sense of despair, anxiety, fear, and isolation. And this has been heightened by the horrific shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo.
“Especially for our children, we need to deliver hope and healing to every community in this country."
We’re leading on the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act to turn the overwhelming sense of despair, anxiety, fear, and isolation into hope.
Children like Austin and communities like mine in Eastern Washington are counting on it. pic.twitter.com/ijANKDoTzf
- CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) June 22, 2022
HELPS IMPROVE SCHOOL SAFETY
Leader Rodgers: “This bill will help children in crisis and improve school safety. For example, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is leading with Richard Hudson on a provision that will expand access to behavioral and mental health services to kids in schools.
“It also includes a solution I led on with Congresswoman Young Kim to reauthorize the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which supports community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention programs."
FIGHTS SURGING OVERDOSE AND FENTANYL POISONING DEATHS
Leader Rodgers: “We’re removing red tape, boosting treatment access, and making sure communities have resources to combat the substance use disorder epidemic in America, too. More than 100,000 people are dying a year…and our communities are in desperate need of help to prevent, treat, and rescue people from overdoses and despair."
Health Subcommittee Leader Guthrie: “Many of these drug overdoses have been caused by synthetic opioids, like illicit fentanyl poisoning, which were involved in about 70 percent of all Kentucky overdoses in 2021."
[…]
“I am proud that my bill, the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Support Services Block Grant Act of 2022, which I co-led with Representatives Tonko, McKinley, and Wild, is also included in H.R. 7666. The legislation would deliver more coordinated substance use disorder care as well as explicitly reauthorize funding for recovery support services, which could include workforce training and peer support services to help get people back on their feet."
Watch @RepGuthrie on how the Restoring Hope for Mental Health & Well-Being Act fights surging overdose and fentanyl poisoning deaths ↓ pic.twitter.com/3VXP5oKpwm
- Energy & Commerce GOP (@HouseCommerce) June 22, 2022
DEFICIT REDUCTION, CHARITABLE CHOICE, MATERNAL CARE
Leader Rodgers: “The priorities in this bill are targeted to responsibly address our most urgent needs so we can build stronger families, communities, and a brighter future. We’re accomplishing this by stopping duplicative programs and cutting the deficit by $200 million.
“The bulk of the programs in this bill are block grants that have been successful in providing our states and communities with the resources and flexibility to meet their specific and unique needs in combatting mental illness and addiction, while keeping the federal government out of the decision-making process for treatments and care.
“By protecting charitable choice, we’re also making sure faith-based and religious organizations are competing on equal footing. This is a victory for conscience protections.
“It also supports care for maternal mental health and substance use disorders, which are among the leading causes of death for pregnant and postpartum women. We are saving lives and caring for women at every stage of pregnancy and beyond."
