[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 21, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2188-S2189]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. PADILLA:
  S. 2072. A bill to establish a pilot program to provide mental health 
check-ups for students at schools operated by the Department of Defense 
Education Activity, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Armed 
Services.
  Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Supporting 
Mental Health for Military Children Act. This legislation would 
establish a routine mental-health and well-being checkup pilot program 
in Department of Defense Education Activity, DODEA, Schools.
  In response to the growing youth mental health crisis in America, 
this bill would establish a biannual mental health screening program to 
ensure students have the resources they need to support their mental 
health, combat the stigmatization of seeking help, and promote healthy 
lifestyles.
  Our Nation's young people are facing an unprecedented mental health 
crisis. An estimated 49.5 percent of American adolescents have had a 
mental health disorder at some point in their lives, with 50 percent of 
all lifetime mental illnesses beginning by age 14; 75 percent by age 
24. This state of affairs was only worsened by the pandemic.
  While these numbers are already staggering, military children are at 
even greater risk of mental/behavioral health problems than the general 
population given their unique vulnerability to adverse childhood 
experiences. As such, early screening and treatment are essential to 
decreasing the risk of suicide and improving management of/recovery 
from mental health conditions amongst this vulnerable segment of youth.
  The evidence is clear: Ubiquitous mental health screening and 
education protocols, offered by 55 percent of U.S. public schools in 
2019 to 2022, are well-tested, relatively low-resource, and high-impact 
ways to swiftly diagnose and treat mental health conditions amongst 
youth.
  I would like to thank Congressman Moulton for his leadership and 
efforts on the House side. I look forward to working with my colleagues 
to enact the Supporting Mental Health for Military Children Act as 
quickly as possible.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. KAINE:
  S.J. Res. 35. A joint resolution redesignating the Robert E. Lee 
Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery as the ``Arlington House 
National Historic Site''; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mr. KAINE. Madam President, today, I am introducing legislation to 
remove ``Robert E. Lee Memorial'' from the official name of Arlington 
House.
  This legislation is partially inspired by requests from descendants 
of General Robert E. Lee and people who were enslaved at Arlington 
House. This is an effort to promote a society that is more just and 
equitable for all, regardless of race, by moving on from a public 
symbol that honors a figure that fought to protect slavery.
  Arlington House is the first name of the historic mansion, which sits 
on Federal land within Arlington National Cemetery. The property is 
administered by the National Park Service and overlooks the Potomac 
River and the Nation's Capital. The house was built by Martha Custis 
Washington's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, as the Nation's 
first memorial to George Washington. Later, his daughter married Robert 
E. Lee and the couple lived in the home until the Civil War, when 
Federal forces occupied the house and surrounding property. During that 
period, the site was chosen to serve as a national military cemetery in 
part to prevent Lee from returning.
  Only in the 20th century, in 1955 and again in 1972, did Congress add 
the commemorative text honoring Robert E. Lee to the site's formal name 
in Federal statute. This was part of a retrograde effort across the 
former Confederacy to bestow public recognition on prominent 
Confederate figures as heroes while minimizing or whitewashing their 
roles in taking up arms

[[Page S2189]]

against the United States to preserve slavery. As Senator from the 
State that has among the most difficult histories when it comes to 
slavery, civil rights, and Confederate monuments, I believe these 
symbolic proposals matter, that the Federal Government should reserve 
honorifics for individuals whose lives advanced American values and 
ideals, not detracted from them.
  Today, the National Park Service is dedicated to telling the story of 
those who were enslaved at the Arlington House. I am hopeful that this 
name change will help to do just a little bit more to encapsulate the 
full history of the site, which included the presence of many families 
and generations throughout history, such as the Syphax, Burke, Parks, 
and Gray families.
  I am pleased that companion legislation is also being introduced in 
the U.S. House of Representatives by my colleague, Representative Don 
Beyer, who has led this effort for years.

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