[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 25, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CALLING ON THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION

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                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 25, 2021

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call my colleagues' 
attention to the dire need for Congress to continue building upon 
recent investments in mental health care.
  The American Rescue Plan funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration is commendable but Congress must hone 
its focus to address this ongoing crisis by working to create and pass 
comprehensive mental health legislation.
  I, alongside Members of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and 
the Bipartisan Mental Health and Addiction Taskforce, are working to 
pull together key pieces of legislation to establish a comprehensive 
Mental Health Crisis Response Act.
  I ask my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to please work 
with us and send bills our way to present to leadership and the White 
House, as the fundamentals of our social economy depend on the good 
health of our citizenry and their ability to access quality and 
affordable behavioral health services.
  Throughout my 38 years in Congress, I have heard countless stories 
from constituents who face barriers when accessing essential mental 
health services. We must work to overcome these issues.
  Further, we must enhance our Nation's capacity to address the 
negative social and physical determinants of health that cause trauma 
and behavioral health problems, as well as deploy more effective 
upstream prevention strategies.
  It's past time for Congress to take meaningful action, targeting 
provider shortages, reimbursement parity, housing support, treatment, 
and increased Federal funding to push the bounds of Federal research.
  Full recovery from the pandemic will be contingent upon addressing 
the behavioral health conditions of our population, because mental 
health is public health.

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