[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 81 (Thursday, May 12, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4871-H4872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WOMEN'S REPRODUCTION FREEDOM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Schneider) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support and in defense 
of women's reproductive freedom and equal rights to comprehensive 
healthcare.
  The leaked Alito opinion shows the Supreme Court is likely to 
overturn Roe v. Wade, the critical precedent that has protected a 
woman's right to bodily autonomy for nearly 50 years. Suddenly, 
millions of women across America are on the brink of being denied their 
fullness of rights, and America is about to become less free. 
Undeterred, Republicans are now publicly talking about a national 
abortion ban, States rights notwithstanding. We are staring down an 
emergency.
  I was a young teen when the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade. That 
remarkable ruling meant that my generation would not have to suffer the 
cruel and dangerous world where abortion was illegal.

[[Page H4872]]

  My generation, and all who have come after, have benefited beyond 
measure from ensuring that women have control over their bodies and are 
able to make their personal healthcare decisions in private counsel 
with their families and their doctors, without having to risk their 
safety or their lives.
  In the House, we passed the Women's Health Protection Act to codify 
Roe. Across the Capitol yesterday, 51 Senators turned their backs on 
women's rights and voted against this legislation. It is shameful. I am 
calling on the Senate to work together to protect women across the 
country. We cannot afford to backslide. We must preserve access to safe 
medical procedures and respect women's bodily autonomy.

                              {time}  1115


                      Mental Health Awareness Month

  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mental 
Health Awareness Month.
  As President Biden declared in his proclamation this month, each May 
we raise awareness about the importance of mental health and its impact 
on the well-being of all Americans, including children, adults, 
families, and communities across our Nation.
  We also give thanks to the dedicated mental health providers whose 
service and support improve the lives of so many Americans. We stand in 
solidarity with those who are experiencing mental health conditions, 
renewing our commitment to providing them with the support they need 
and deserve.
  Madam Speaker, every day Americans bear a tremendous mental health 
burden, exacerbated by COVID-19. The pandemic has increased daily 
challenges for all of us and for so many have pushed us to our limits. 
Frontline workers, seniors forced into isolation, parents juggling work 
and teaching our kids from home, and especially our young people 
navigating life's decisions, often without the basic support systems 
they deserve and need.
  We feel the impact of our daily interaction with family, friends, 
neighbors, and even strangers, and we see the impact in the numbers. 
Increased demand for mental health services, rising incidents of 
domestic violence, and far too often stories of people, old and young, 
losing all hope and dying by suicide.
  I have heard from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in 
Chicago about the severity of the pediatric mental health crisis. Prior 
to the pandemic, Lurie Children's used to get 50 calls per week for new 
appointments for mental health services. They are now getting 50 calls 
a day. Their emergency department treated a prepandemic two to three 
suicide attempts each month. That number has jumped to two or three 
attempts each day.
  Countless teachers have come to me telling me about the struggles 
their students are facing and the increasing difficulties they endure 
simply managing their classrooms. A study found that the mental health 
of colleges students declined between 2013 and 2021, with 135 percent 
increase in depression, and 110 percent increase in anxiety.
  According to the CDC, during the pandemic 18- to 24-year-olds became 
25 percent more likely to report they had seriously considered suicide. 
In my district, Dylan Buckner, a star quarterback due to graduate with 
honors in mere months, was lost to suicide in January of 2021, 
devastating his family, friends, and community.
  More recently, my community lost a shining light, Orli Sheffey, to 
suicide this spring. She was a wonderful young woman I had the 
privilege of knowing her entire life. Her parents, Steve and Timna, her 
sisters, Ariel and Ayelet, are heartbroken but are also committed to 
helping others get the mental healthcare they need. Steve specifically 
asked that Congress take up the issue of mental health on college 
campuses.
  Another of my constituents lost their son, Washington Metropolitan 
Police Officer Jeff Smith, due to physical and mental injuries incurred 
on January 6. Officer Smith's father shared with me that the stigma 
around mental health and the lack of access to care contributed to his 
tragic loss.
  Orli's, Dylan's, and Jeff's stories, like everyone's, are specific to 
their individual circumstances, but the tragedy of young lives cut 
short and the incidence of people of all ages not able to get the care 
they need reflect our national failure to meet this mental health 
moment.
  As a Nation, we desperately need more mental health awareness, 
education, and better mental health services. We need more mental 
health providers and residents available to both adults and to children 
to address the access gap that so many families confront.
  Getting America healthy requires that we get those facing these 
challenges the resources they need, or if we as a Nation are going to 
achieve our greatest potential, then we must help the sickest among us 
get healthy so they can reach their full potential.
  In Illinois, you can use the Call4Calm text line. If you or a loved 
one are struggling with stress related to the COVID pandemic and need 
emotional support, text ``talk'' to 552020. It is free, and it is 
anonymous. Veterans can call 1-800-273-8255 or text 838255. The number 
for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255.

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