Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am here this afternoon to talk about an issue that is so important to my State and to communities nationwide; that is, how do we help children and families rebuild and recover when they face serious trauma? As we have seen all too often in recent years, traumatic events can impact children at any time and in any part of our country. If children don't get the support they need in the wake of a hardship such as a natural disaster or violence at school or stress related to a family member's military deployment, those experiences can be even more difficult to recover from and they can leave our children with serious and long-lasting challenges such as depression, anxiety, and difficulty maintaining employment.

An estimated two-thirds of our children experience traumatic events before the age of 16. Their need for support and treatment after trauma is something that simply cannot go unmet. That is why I am very proud to introduce the Children's Recovery from Trauma Act. This bipartisan legislation would continue support for child trauma centers across the country which help make sure that as children in families face difficult times, our Nation's health care system is better prepared to provide support and help ease that burden.

Child trauma centers have played an important role in my home State of Washington. For example, when the State Route 530 mudslide caused unthinkable devastation in Oso and Darrington, the Washington State University CLEAR Center stepped in to help children and families who were impacted by that horrific tragedy. Staff at the CLEAR Center held parent nights at Darrington Elementary School and worked with the teachers there to help make sure students got the right kind of support they needed. They even helped teachers explain to students how the brain operates under stress and how that might influence their behavior. As a mom and former preschool teacher, a school board member, and a Senator from the great State of Washington, I believe this support can make a world of difference in this kind of scary and stressful time for our kids.

I am very proud that under the Children's Recovery from Trauma Act, the CLEAR Center would continue to receive critical Federal investment. In addition, I am very proud that other child trauma centers, such as those that mobilized after the 2001 terrorist attack and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Sandy and the shootings at Virginia Tech and in Newtown, would continue to get those investments as well.

As I have said before, I am inspired by the strength and resilience of communities in Washington State that were impacted by the tragedy of the State Route 530 mudslide and the shootings recently at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. Children in these communities and communities like them across the country face hardships that can't always be predicted or prevented, but they do need and deserve our support. The Children's Recovery from Trauma Act would take some critical steps forward in this effort, and I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting it.

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