Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3752, the Pandemic Effects on Home Safety and Tourism Act.

I first thank Representatives Cardenas and Davis for their efforts on this bill to protect consumers. I also thank Representatives Upton and Castor for including provisions to promote and assist our tourism industry, an essential component of our Nation's economy, and something I care deeply about as cochair of the Congressional Tourism Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3752 directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to report on trends of injuries and deaths from consumer products during the COVID-19 pandemic. As more Americans have spent time in their homes, it is important the CPSC continues to inform consumers with information about potentially hazardous products.

Additionally, H.R. 3752 requires the Department of Commerce to study and report on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our travel and tourism industry. This industry plays a significant role in many local communities and supports over 50 million jobs across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill. I think it is a good bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and service of William

Henry Lawson of Glasgow, Kentucky. William passed away at the age of 97 on April 7, 2021.

William served our country in the United States Army during World War II. His military occupational specialty was Truck Driver, Light (345). William was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Ribbon with three bronze service stars and bronze arrowhead, the American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and World War II Victory Medal as a testament to his valiant and honorable service in defense of our nation.

In addition to serving in the Army, William also was a farmer and school bus driver. Most importantly, he had a loving family. William is survived by children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, step- grandchildren, and many other loving family members.

I would like to thank William for his service to our country and community.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 433, the Family Support Services for Addiction Act of 2021, which was introduced by Representatives Trone and Meuser.

This legislation would establish a grant program for family community organizations that provide evidence-informed and family-based approaches to substance use and addiction management.

Family-based approaches have a record of success in substance use disorder recovery when compared with individual approaches, as they address several psychosocial dimensions of addiction and strengthen support networks for affected individuals.

This legislation would support family community organizations committed to pursuing evidence-driven interventions for substance use disorder, reducing the stigma of addiction and strengthening both families and communities through recovery.

I would like to thank Representatives Trone and Meuser for the hard work that they have done to put together and to bring this important bill to the floor.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Madam Speaker, I really appreciate both the leaders of this bill and the entire House, as we have worked hard together in a bipartisan way over the years for the opioid abuse and other types of abuse and recovery efforts. This is an important bill and an additional step in that direction. We are fighting it, but we still have to continue the fight. This is an important bill. I support it, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1475, the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act, sponsored by Representative Watson Coleman.

This important bill helps address suicide and mental illness in youth from minority and underserved communities.

Despite improvements in health quality, disparities in mental healthcare persist. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has reported that racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. are less likely to have access to mental health services, less likely to use community mental health services, more likely to use emergency departments, and more likely to receive lower quality care.

Poor mental healthcare access and quality ultimately contribute to poor outcomes, including suicide among these populations. These issues are especially acute in minority youth populations.

This bill would help address these disparities by authorizing grants targeted at high-poverty communities for culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services, supporting mental health disparities research, studying the impact of smartphones and social media on adolescents, and reauthorizing the Minority Fellowship Program to support more students of color entering the mental health workforce.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote for this important initiative, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing.

Madam Speaker, again, this is a very important issue, and I am glad we are here today to address it. We need to address it. My hopes and prayers are, as we move forward with this piece of legislation, we get the help that communities needed.

I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 586, the STANDUP Act of 2021, which was introduced by Representative Scott Peters and includes the support of many Members of the House, including Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues Bilirakis, Blunt Rochester, Upton, and Tonko.

This legislation helps promote suicide awareness and facilitates prevention training for students and young Americans. For the last decade, suicide has been the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 24, and the 10th leading cause of overall deaths in the United States. Tragically, this epidemic has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suicide is preventable, and initiatives that empower students with knowledge of the warning signs and resources for prevention are critical in addressing these trends.

Through this bill, Project AWARE grantees will be empowered to establish school-based suicide awareness and prevention training programs, which will improve student awareness of mental health issues while connecting at-risk individuals to needed health services.

The pandemic has greatly impacted the mental health of all Americans, which is why it is critical that we continue addressing our Nation's challenges in preventing youth suicide and promoting the wellness of all.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), my good friend.

Madam Speaker, as we were speaking before, this is an important issue. Suicide affects so many people. There are systems, there is the ability to become aware. It can be preventable if people know the right signs to look for. I think the American people absolutely want to work together to make this happen so we can prevent this.

I urge all my colleagues to support this piece of legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of H.R. 721, the Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2021, spearheaded by Representative Napolitano.

This bill authorizes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Project AWARE grants. These grants support State educational agencies, in partnership with State mental health agencies, in increasing awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth, providing training for school personnel to detect and respond to mental health issues and connecting students with behavioral health issues and their families to needed services.

By supporting partnerships between State and local systems to promote the healthy development of students, these grants increase access to mental health services for school-aged youth, ultimately reducing youth violence, substance use disorder, and suicide.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, as with all the other bills before us today, it is so important to reach out to our youth and to prevent suicide and violence as a result of mental health disorders. We all know, as young as we can reach them, the better.

I support this bill and ask my colleagues to do so. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2877, the Behavioral Intervention Guidelines Act of 2021 introduced by Representatives Ferguson, Burgess, Peters, and Panetta.

This important bill authorizes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop best practices for establishing and using behavioral intervention teams in elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education.

Behavioral intervention teams are multidisciplinary teams that support students' mental health and wellness by identifying students experiencing stress, anxiety, or other behavioral disturbances, and conducting intervention and outreach to these students to help manage risk. These teams are already active in some educational settings, such as Texas Tech and the University of California, Los Angeles.

By acting in a proactive manner to assist students and connect them with needed resources, behavioral intervention teams help schools create a safe environment for their students and improve mental health outcomes in young people.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson).

Madam Speaker, what we have talked about is that this creates a safe environment for students. I think all Americans want a safer environment for all of our students and to improve the mental health outcomes of young people.

Madam Speaker, that is what this bill focuses on, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1260, the Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act of 2021 introduced by Representative Ruppersberger and fellow Energy and Commerce Committee member Kinzinger.

This important legislation would provide Federal grants to hospitals and trauma centers for intervention services to victims of violent crime.

Violence in America disproportionately impacts urban and underserved communities, where poor social determinants of health can contribute to structural violence.

Hospital-based intervention programs help reduce violence because they reach high-risk individuals recently admitted to a hospital for treatment of a serious violent injury. Hospitalization presents an opportunity when an individual may be open to help to break the cycle of violence by immediate intervention following the violent incident.

By supporting hospital-based violence intervention programs, this bill will connect at-risk individuals with local resources that address underlying risk factors for violence.

I thank Representatives Ruppersberger and Kinzinger for tackling this challenging issue and for putting forward a meaningful solution to help address violence in our communities.

Madam Speaker, it is important to break the cycle of violence. Having someone in a hospital setting who has just been a victim of violence is a great time to address that.

I think this is the right policy at the right time, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1205, Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2021, sponsored by Representative Ruiz.

This bill authorizes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to emergency departments for the purpose of supporting follow-up services to patients that present in the emergency department in mental health crisis.

According to SAMHSA's National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care, there is a disconnect in the provision of follow-up services regarding what comes next for patients experiencing a mental health crisis in the emergency department.

If a patient comes in with appendicitis, the emergency room physician can call a surgeon. If the patient has a rash, the emergency department has a roster of dermatologists in clinics; and, in many cases, the physician can even make an appointment for the patient. These partnerships don't always exist for mental health illness.

By authorizing grants to support programs that help those treated at emergency departments expeditiously transition to follow-on care, this bill will remove barriers to care for those experiencing an acute mental health crisis, reduce stigma, and ultimately save lives.

Madam Speaker, one of the great things I have learned being a Member of the House of Representatives is that we have 435 people from all walks of life and they bring all their life experiences to us and create some important legislation.

Dr. Ruiz is an emergency room physician. He knows this firsthand. We are colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I know he is passionate about it because it does save lives if we get people the assistance they need.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1324, the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act of 2021, introduced by Representatives Bilirakis, Soto, and Burgess.

This legislation will authorize the grant program to improve the identification, screening, assessment, and treatment of patients in emergency departments who are at risk for suicide.

Consideration of this bill could not come at a more pressing time. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn have impacted the mental health of many Americans. Due to the pandemic, tens of thousands of additional Americans have died from suicide or substance misuse.

Emergency departments are key locations to intervene and assist those who may be contemplating suicide. Past research has identified one in every eight emergency department visits in the United States were related to a mental health or substance use disorder.

By creating grants for emergency departments to develop policies for screening those at risk of suicide, and enhancing their post-discharge care coordination, this bill will improve our frontline providers' ability to intervene when someone is in crisis, ultimately reducing deaths from despair during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), my friend.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I would just say that these series of bills is so important in dealing with the suicide and prevention, in preventing this tragic epidemic from becoming a pandemic as well.

Madam Speaker, I urge the support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1480, the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act, or HERO Act, which was introduced by Representative Bera, and several Members of this Chamber, including Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues Burgess, Blunt Rochester, Kelly, Kuster, and Tonko.

This legislation would create a database at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to capture public safety officer suicide incidences, and studies successful interventions. It would

also authorize a grant program for peer support and wellness programs for frontline healthcare workers and fire and emergency medical service agencies. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop best practices and share resources for addressing post-traumatic stress in public safety officers.

This legislation is incredibly timely. Emergency workers and doctors and nurses have been under incredible strain throughout the pandemic. Losing those who keep us healthy and safe will only make the crisis worse.

We must ensure that all the heroes across America on the front lines of healthcare and in law enforcement and public safety have the support they need to continue working to keep us safe.

Madam Speaker, this being National Police Officer Week, I think it is Memorial week, it is an important time to do all we can for those in law enforcement, but also public safety, as this bill addresses, and those on the front lines in healthcare.

So I encourage us to be in support of those on the front lines, and I urge a ``yes'' vote. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2862, the Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act, introduced by Representatives Beyer and Kinzinger.

This bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to conduct a national suicide prevention education campaign, this includes promotion of the new 988 number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The bill also helps educate Americans on ways to engage people showing signs of suicidal behavior, in order to provide them with the support they need. The bill is desperately needed as we work as a nation to emerge from an unprecedented health and economic crisis.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to come together here today and advance this legislation.

Again, this is important in terms of having the 988 number, people can reach out and have intervention. We know intervention and prevention and recognition is key to preventing people from committing suicide.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my friends, Mr. Beyer and Mr. Kinzinger, for bringing this forward. I urge its passage.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2981, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2021, introduced by Representatives Katko, Napolitano, and Beyer. This legislation will increase the authorization of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program to $50 million a year and ensures funding is available for the continued operation of the suicide hotline.

When an individual in crisis calls the suicide hotline, they cannot get a busy signal. This is crucial in this time of economic distress and social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. With more individuals in crisis, more calls will come. We must increase awareness of this critical resource and make it easier to remember the number. We must make sure the national suicide hotline is prepared to deal with those in crisis.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko).

In closing, Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues for working very hard on this bill and all the bills for suicide preservation.

Madam Speaker, I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2955, the Suicide Prevention Act, spearheaded by Representatives Stewart and Matsui.

This legislation establishes two grant programs to prevent self-harm and suicide. The first grant program would train emergency room personnel in suicide prevention strategies and screening. The bill also establishes a grant program to enhance data collection and sharing of suicide information to help save lives.

I thank my colleagues for bringing forward this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important initiative.

Madam Speaker, seeing no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 768, the Block, Report, And Suspend Shipments Act of 2021, which was led by my

Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues, McKinley and Dingell.

This bill addresses an alarming problem that was identified in the Energy and Commerce Committee's 2018 bipartisan investigation into the distribution of prescription opioids by wholesale drug distributors.

The committee found that when millions of prescription opioids were dumped into communities large and small across the country, the distributors flagged the orders for the DEA, but shipped the orders anyway--even after notifying the authorities that the orders were suspicious.

This bill places additional obligations on drug manufacturers and distributors that discover a controlled substance suspicious order.

In addition to reporting the suspicious order to the DEA, H.R. 768 requires the manufacturer or distributor to exercise due diligence, decline to fill the order, and provide information to the DEA on the indicators that led to the belief that filling the order would violate the Controlled Substances Act.

All stakeholders have important roles to play in preventing substance use disorders, and it is critical that our pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors step up in stopping pill dumping.

I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

My good friend from Michigan thanked the Republican and Democratic staff. We have gone through a series of bills and have another one to go, most dealing with substance use disorders, mental health, and suicide prevention, and all of them brought to the floor in a bipartisan way. That happens with Members working together, but it also happens with staff working long hours together. We certainly appreciate all of them who are here with us on the floor or not on the floor this afternoon.

This is important. We did an oversight investigation. We did a committee investigation and saw what seemed to us obvious quantities of pills being distributed that should be raised to the attention of people.

I think my friend from Michigan said it best when she said this is common sense, so we want to make sure we clarify the role of pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.

This is a good bill, and I urge its support.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.