[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2552-2553]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                REFORMING OUR MENTAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Lance) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of reforming 
our Nation's broken mental health care system.
  Too often we are reminded that the country's mental health care 
system is not working nearly as well as should be the case. Many 
Americans hide behind the curtain of shame and insecurity while many 
others lack access, assistance, or even information on how they may 
receive treatment.
  It is a vicious cycle, where the vulnerable who need the most care 
are instead left out of society, unemployable, and, in some cases, a 
danger to themselves and others.
  Recent data suggests that fewer than one-third of Americans with 
diagnosable mental illness actually get treatment. Experts also 
estimate that more than half of those who suffer from severe mental 
disorders do not receive treatment in any given year.
  At least 25 percent of returning troops from Iraq and Afghanistan 
will experience some type of mental health condition. We owe our 
servicemen and -women and veterans this effort to get them the care 
they need and deserve.
  I am proud to partner with Democratic Congresswoman Doris Matsui of 
California, with whom I serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee, in 
recently introducing a bill to significantly expand access and 
strengthen community mental health and behavioral health services 
across the country.

[[Page 2553]]

  The Expand Excellence in Mental Health Care Act aims to expand mental 
health care planning grants in two dozen States, including New Jersey, 
through an initiative based on our 2014 Excellence in Mental Health Act 
that was signed into law by President Obama in 2014.
  This measure is directly tackling one of the most significant mental 
health care challenges: access. The Expand Excellence in Mental Health 
Act will enable more States to experiment with the tools and practices 
to fix this broken system.
  By expanding the law to include more States, we encourage greater 
collaboration and testing to find out what solutions work, how best to 
care for those who need treatment, and what we can do to keep the 
people of the United States safe.
  The Excellence in Mental Health Care Act is one of the most 
significant works Congress has already passed into law on mental health 
care. We should expand it and keep the momentum going.
  I am also proud to be working with Republican Congressman Tim Murphy 
of Pennsylvania on this issue. Dr. Murphy, who has a Ph.D. in 
psychology, has been using his expertise to lead a serious discussion 
in the House Energy and Commerce Committee on this critical issue.
  His Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which I am proud to 
cosponsor, takes a clinical approach to supporting families and 
individuals undergoing sudden or long-term mental health crises. The 
bill views those who need care through the mental health lens, not just 
through the criminal justice system.
  Our work on these bills is part of a larger conversation on improving 
mental health care in this country. These bills will help struggling 
families who seek the best care for their loved ones. It will help 
those who fear stigma to get the care they need and will give our 
servicemen and -women and veterans the care they deserve.
  I urge support for these measures, and I welcome all good ideas to 
the table for reforming our mental health care system.

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