May is Mental Health Month

Floor Speech

(Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, May is Mental Health Month, a month where we step up our efforts to raise awareness for mental health and work to remove the stigma of seeking help for mental illness.

This issue is very close to my heart, as I worked in the New York State Assembly to pass Timothy's Law, which provides parity in mental health coverage in my home State.

We work in a very divided environment here, Mr. Speaker, in Washington, but one of the few things I believe we can all agree on is the need to focus more on individuals and families that struggle with mental illness. That means providing better resources, more robust programs, enhanced coordination, and a more comprehensive mental health national program.

Mental illness affects all ages, all races, tax brackets, and political ideologies, and our response to mental illness must be as comprehensive as the group of people it affects. We can only do this by joining together, reflecting in our budget our commitment to overcoming the challenges mental illnesses pose, and passing the Strengthening Mental Health in Our Communities Act, legislation that my colleagues and I introduced just today.

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