McMorris Rodgers Comprehensive, Bipartisan Mental Health Package Passes Committee
Washington, D.C. – The House Energy and Commerce Committee today passed Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ (WA-05) Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act. This legislative package is the most comprehensive effort to date designed to support communities providing care to people in need of hope and healing amid a worsening mental health crisis in America.
“For the better part of two years, fear and isolation have contributed to a worsening mental health crisis in Eastern Washington. Families are in crisis. Our kids feel broken and alone. People of all ages are in despair and suffering from severe mental illness,” Rodgers said.
“Our communities are in need of hope and healing to reverse the devastating mental health crisis made worse by the shutdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic,” she continued. “The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act is an important first step in that process, and I’m so grateful to my colleagues for coming together to make sure we took action. This is going to make a real difference for young Americans as we continue our work to turn despair into hope for them and their families again.”
The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act will reauthorize key Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs to address the national mental health and substance use disorder crises. It also includes Rodgers’ bipartisan provision to reauthorize important programs established under the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Act, which support community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention efforts.
In Eastern Washington, GLS Programs helped Washington State University bring additional mental health services to campus between 2016 and 2019. As a result, the university was able to implement campus-wide, collaborative trainings and help a growing number of students deal with the struggles of depression, anxiety, stress, and thoughts of suicide.
Additionally, the package targets more resources for maternal health and substance use disorder among mothers, which are among the leading causes of death for pregnant and postpartum women. Cathy has made it a top priority to save lives and support women at every stage of pregnancy and motherhood.
The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, which includes these critical wins for mental health and substance abuse services in Eastern Washington, is expected to go to the House floor for a vote.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Rodgers’ provision to reauthorize the GLS Memorial Act.
CLICK HERE to watch remarks from today’s full E&C Committee markup.
###