[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 20, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H6891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DESERT SAGE YOUTH WELLNESS CENTER

  (Mr. RUIZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the House passage 
of my bill, the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center Access Improvement 
Act, which is now on its way to the President's desk. This much-needed 
legislation will bring a paved access road to the Desert Sage Youth 
Wellness Center in Hemet.
  The Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center is the only operational Indian 
Health Service youth treatment center in the entire State. It is the 
only place in California where Native youth can receive culturally 
relevant mental health care and substance use disorder treatment.
  Yet, to get to the center, patients and staff have to traverse a dirt 
road that often cracks in the heat and washes out in the rain and 
hinders deliveries and services.
  As a physician, I know how crucial culturally based care is to the 
health and well-being of our communities. That is why I advocated for 
the construction of Desert Sage since day one, and why I secured 
funding for its completion in 2016, and why now, I am working to 
deliver safe, reliable access to this facility.
  Madam Speaker, I urge President Biden to sign this into law 
immediately to help pave a road worthy of the dignity of the people at 
Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center.

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