[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 109 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             MENTAL HEALTH

  (Mrs. ROUKEMA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, last week two members of the Capitol 
Police force here were killed in the line of duty here at the Capitol. 
The senseless death of those two police officers has proved to the 
world what many of us already knew namely that there are gaping holes 
in the network of services designed to identify and treat people with 
mental illness. But I tell my colleagues something good must come from 
this tragedy, and we must work towards a lasting memorial for these 
valiant officers.
  More and more Americans are witnessing in their communities every day 
the violence resulting from the failed policy of deinstitutionalization 
and untreated mental illness. Last year alone, over 1,000 homicides 
were directly attributable to improperly treated mental illness.
  I therefore call the attention of my colleagues to the initiative 
that the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) and I are taking, urging 
that Speaker Gingrich and the House leadership appoint a task force to 
have a serious evaluation, including public hearings, on the failures 
of the system that result in violence in every community in this 
country that results from untreated mental illness.
  I ask again, join us. Something good must come from this tragedy.

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