[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 162 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PASSING MENTAL HEALTH REFORM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 14, 2016

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
support of passing mental health reform in the Senate prior to the end 
of the 114th Congress. As the original lead democratic cosponsor of 
H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, I was 
proud to work on the legislation for three years as to see it pass the 
House in July.
  As the days remaining in the 114th Congress dwindle, there is still a 
long list of unfinished business that Republicans in the House and the 
Senate must make a priority. Since the Helping Families in Mental 
Health Crisis Act was bipartisan and passed the House with a vote of 
422-2, mental health reform is something we can all agree on right now.
  We can all agree that the severely mentally ill are largely untreated 
and undiagnosed in this country. We can all agree that the homeless and 
prison population are particularly vulnerable to mental illness, and 
that these are the individuals that get the least amount of attention 
and access to mental health services. We can all agree that unnecessary 
barriers exist between physicians and caregivers who only want to help 
their loved ones. We can all agree that there are not enough 
psychiatric hospital beds available for individuals experiencing a 
crisis. We can all agree that additional federal coordination is 
necessary to change and elevate these issues.
  The need for change to how we operate our federal mental health 
system and how we treat patients with severe mental illness is now. 
Patients, families, and physicians cannot wait any longer. I urge my 
colleagues in the Senate to consider and pass mental health reform 
before the end of the 114th Congress. Our individuals with mental 
illness cannot afford to start over again.

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