Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Right now, today, as we all are here in the Halls of Congress, our Nation is facing a mental health crisis. And this crisis followed 2 years of lockdowns and remote learning that have left so many Americans feeling isolated, lost, and, in some cases, hopeless. Particularly, our young Americans feel all of these emotions.

I rise today in support of this legislation that would help to address this crisis head-on by helping to ensure that those who are struggling can receive the help that they so desperately need, that they need, and they need our attention to it right now.

The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 expands access to care for millions of Americans, including children and teenagers who are desperately in need of this assistance.

As a doctor, I have treated patients who have later lost their lives to mental illness. Just last week, we had physicians here on the Hill, pediatricians, family doctors, telling us that they have seen the shift of the pendulum; that they see on a daily basis more and more cases in their patients, specifically involving mental health.

And there is not a single American who has not in some way been impacted by the effects that mental illness is having today.

In the past year, over 107,000 Americans have lost their lives to drug overdoses. Far too many grandparents, far too many fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters are dying. We cannot wait to act any longer. We need to act and vote on this legislation.

To help address the tragedy of addiction, this bill increases support for opioid recovery programs that will help people who are struggling to receive the care that they need.

This bill would go on to make mental health screenings a part of each person's annual physical exam and evaluation and help to ensure that everyone who sees a doctor is able to have a conversation frankly, concisely, clearly, about their mental health and the mental health issues that they are facing.

Most importantly, this bill would provide a whole-of-care approach that would fund prevention, treatment, and recovery services for the people who are suffering with addiction. We have worked as a committee, as a conference addressing these important issues.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote to pass this important piece of legislation.

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 7666 which would add the text of the Military Suicide Prevention in the 21st Century Act to the underlying bill.

The men and the women of America's Armed Forces dedicate their lives in service to this Nation. Unfortunately, countless servicemembers are left with scars that linger long after they return home.

Rates of serious mental illness experienced by those in the Armed Forces are on the rise, and tragically, so too is the number of soldiers who ultimately take their lives.

According to DOD's most recent report, suicide in the military community is at its highest rate since 1938. An estimated 7,000 servicemembers have died in combat or training exercises since 9/11.

During that same time, over 30,000 Active-Duty personnel and veterans who recently served died by suicide. Those numbers should bring pause to every Member in this Chamber. More importantly, they should spur us into action.

That is why I introduced the Military Suicide Prevention in the 21st Century Act. This commonsense bill would direct the DOD to utilize modern technology to prevent suicides in our military community.

In addition to requiring the National Suicide Hotline and the Veterans Crisis Hotline to be preprogrammed into government-issued smart devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops, the bill would require the DOD to proactively download the Virtual Hope Box app onto these devices.

This app can be set up with the photos of friends and family, sound bites of loved ones, videos of special moments, music, relaxation exercises, games, and reminders of reasons for living.

Nothing we do here in Washington will ever truly repay the sacrifices made by our Nation's servicemembers, but by passing this legislation, we can help make a meaningful difference in the lives of countless American heroes and their families.

We owe an incredible debt to the men and women of our Armed Forces who risk their lives fighting for our freedoms and our security. It is past time Congress do more to fight for them here at home.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment so we can make real progress toward providing improved support for America's servicemembers struggling with their mental health.

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