Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. BERA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 2740.

My amendment is simple. It would direct the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA, to explore using its funds to explore peer-to-peer mental health programs for first responders.

Our first responders--our police officers, our EMS, our firefighters--are at particular risk for suicide. Studies have found they have some of the highest rates of suicide. This is a difficult thing to discuss, but we need to address it.

These are men and women who are exposed to trauma every day, things that a normal human being is not going to see. Every day, firefighters, police officers, and EMS are responding to calls for help. It is time we heard their call. That is why I am glad the Labor-HHS appropriations report requires SAMHSA to examine PTSD among first responders.

I want to thank my colleagues, Mrs. Murphy and Mr. Soto, for working to include this language in the bill.

One tool to address post-traumatic stress is peer-to-peer programs where our first responders can turn to a trusted friend and talk to them about what they are struggling with.

I have introduced the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome, or HERO, Act to authorize HHS to do just that. We need to explore this tool so that we can help our police, our EMS, our firefighters just as they help us.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

I yield the balance of my time to my colleague from California (Ms. Lee).

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Mr. BERA. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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