[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4330-H4331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING CONGRESSMAN CHRIS STEWART ON HIS RETIREMENT

  (Mr. MOULTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MOULTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of my friend, the 
six-term Congressman from Utah, Chris Stewart, who retires from 
Congress this week.

[[Page H4331]]

  Of all the things we have worked on together, I am most proud of 
passing the bill that created the 988 Mental Health Lifeline. Since it 
went live last summer, millions of Americans have received help in a 
moment of mental health crisis, with countless lives saved as a result.
  As fellow veterans, we have seen firsthand the consequences of 
inadequate mental health care. We knew it could be an uphill battle to 
pass our bill, and it was. You wouldn't believe some of the stories.
  That is why you need a partner you can trust. That is Chris. Beyond 
his admirable commitment to his family and this job, it is just hard 
not to like Chris.
  He is an Air Force veteran who broke the world record for the fastest 
nonstop flight around the world. He is a successful businessman. He has 
authored multiple best-selling books. What can't this guy do?

  Well, one thing he didn't have to do was take a lot of political risk 
to work across the aisle with a Democrat on a big bill like 988. 
Political courage means something to Chris. We need more leaders like 
him in Washington.
  Chris, thank you for your service. We will miss you, and I wish you 
and your family only the best.
  Madam Speaker, I include in the Record letters of congratulations and 
appreciation from the Massachusetts and Utah chapters of the American 
Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

                                               September 12, 2023.
     Hon. Chris Stewart,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Stewart: The American Foundation for 
     Suicide Prevention's (AFSP), Massachusetts chapter writes to 
     congratulate you and wish you well as you leave Congress this 
     month. We extend our thanks and appreciation for your 
     outstanding leadership in finding bipartisan solutions to 
     prevent suicide and help save lives.
       Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United 
     States in 2021. We are grateful for your partnership with 
     Representative Seth Moulton to establish the new 988 Suicide 
     and Crisis Lifeline and build out a comprehensive crisis 
     response system. Since its launch just over a year ago, the 
     988 Lifeline has responded to millions of calls, texts, and 
     chats from people needing life-saving support.
       Our chapter also appreciates your work to address the youth 
     mental health crisis and Veteran suicide prevention. Veterans 
     are about 1.5 times more likely to die from suicide than 
     their non-Veteran peers, and we appreciate your collaboration 
     with Representative Moulton to bring needed attention to this 
     important issue.
       During your 11 years in Congress, you successfully worked 
     across the aisle to help ensure that people struggling with 
     their mental health are connected to timely supports and 
     services. We thank you for your service, and we wish you and 
     your family well.
           Sincerely,
                                             Jessica van der Stad,
              Executive Director, Massachusetts Chapter, American 
     Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
                                  ____

                                               September 12, 2023.
     Hon. Chris Stewart,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Stewart: The American Foundation for 
     Suicide Prevention's (AFSP) Utah chapter writes to 
     congratulate you on your remarkable career in Congress and to 
     thank you for your leadership on suicide prevention and 
     mental health during your 11 years in office. We thank you 
     for your collaboration to raise the visibility of suicide 
     prevention and increase access to mental health services and 
     supports, and we wish you well as you leave Congress later 
     this month.
       AFSP Utah celebrated alongside you when the bipartisan 
     National Suicide Hotline Designation Act), a bill you led 
     with Rep. Seth Moulton to establish the new 988 Suicide and 
     Crisis Lifeline, passed in 2020. We were especially proud 
     that you built on the success of the crisis line in Utah to 
     enact this bill, which represents a monumental opportunity to 
     transform the way our country responds to suicide, mental 
     health, and substance use crises. Since its launch in July 
     2022, the 988 Lifeline has helped millions of people in 
     suicide and mental health crisis, and we have been honored to 
     work alongside you to support its implementation.
       Through your leadership on the House 988 & Crisis Services 
     Task Force and the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, you 
     took many concrete actions to reduce the stigma associated 
     with mental health, educate other members of Congress and the 
     public about mental health and ways to get help, and identify 
     bipartisan solutions to prevent suicide. We are proud that 
     AFSP recognized these significant accomplishments with 
     several awards, including the 2018 ``Allies for Action'' 
     Congressional Award and, most recently, the 988 Crisis 
     Response Champion Award with the National Alliance on Mental 
     Illness (NAMI), and the #ReimagineCrisis campaign.
       We thank you for your leadership and collaboration, and we 
     would be happy to continue to serve as a resource for you. 
     Hope to see you at our Central Utah Walk in Richfield on 
     September 30, 2023. We wish you and your family all the best 
     in your next chapter.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Taryn Hiatt,
        Executive Director, Utah Chapter, American Foundation for 
                                               Suicide Prevention.

     

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