[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 7, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MENTAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS

  (Mrs. SYKES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an issue that 
touches every community in this country: mental health.
  More than one in five adults in the United States live with a mental 
health illness. These are our friends, neighbors, coworkers, or family 
members. For many of us, this is a deeply personal issue.
  Whether you live in a big city or a small town, almost everyone has a 
person in their life who is struggling, and chances are you know 
someone who has struggled or you could be struggling yourself.
  In Ohio, we have seen just how urgent this crisis has become, where 
we have only about half the behavioral health workforce we need to meet 
the demand. In fact, there is just one psychiatrist for every 6,000 
Ohioans. That is not just a workforce problem. It is a public health 
emergency, a safety issue, and a challenge to our quality of life.
  When I came to Congress, I promised to work with anyone from either 
side of the aisle to address the challenges that matter most to the 
people of Ohio's 13th. That is why I have reintroduced the Mental 
Health Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill to provide tens of millions 
of dollars annually to expand our behavioral health workforce, helping 
to train, recruit, and retain mental health professionals across the 
country.
  It is a commonsense solution that will bring resources directly to 
communities like mine, helping to address addiction, reduce suicide, 
and ensure more Americans get the care they need when they need it.
  I hope that everyone joins me in passing this bipartisan bill. Our 
country demands it.

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