[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 181 (Friday, December 6, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H6423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CAUCUS

  (Ms. SALINAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SALINAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the work that my 
colleagues in the Mental Health Caucus and I are doing to address 
America's mental health and addiction crises.
  When I first took office, my home State of Oregon ranked second to 
last in the Nation in terms of access to mental health services and 
dead last for the widespread prevalence of mental illness.
  It is why I made this issue a top priority and took on a leadership 
role as co-chair of the Mental Health Caucus, where our Members have 
introduced around 200 bills during this Congress alone to address 
various pieces of the mental health puzzle.
  Personally, I have introduced my own bills related to mental health 
and cosponsored dozens more. I have held listening tours, roundtables, 
and townhalls to hear directly from community members, to understand 
the challenges they face, and establish strong relationships with 
advocates and treatment professionals to ensure our solutions are 
guided by lived experiences.
  These actions have helped raise awareness and reduce the stigma 
around seeking care, but that is merely just the first step. I know 
there is still so much more work to be done. I remain committed to 
reaching across the aisle and working with my colleagues in both 
parties to continue this work to make strides on this issue in the next 
Congress.

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