Rep. Andrea Salinas Delivers Floor Speech on Supporting Mental Health Care for Rural Communities

Click hereto watch Rep. Salinas' full floor remarks.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) delivered remarks on the House Floor underscoring the importance of supporting mental health in rural communities. In her speech, she warned of the growing mental health care crisis in rural America, highlighting how recent Republican cuts to Medicaid have stripped many communities of their primary source of care.

A transcript of Salinas' floor speech is available below:

Mr. Speaker, September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

That's why I rise today to highlight the urgent need to support the mental wellbeing of our rural communities.

The suicide rates among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers stand at nearly 44 deaths per 100,000 people, which is significantly higher than the national average.

Despite this crisis, my Republican colleagues recently passed their Big, Ugly Bill, which guts Medicaid. Medicaid provides access to the care many in our rural communities need.

Because of these cruel cuts, Oregonians will lose out on the lifesaving mental and behavioral health care, and the mental health crisis will only get worse.

As a founding member of the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, I know that our rural neighbors often travel long distances to access care.

I have a bill, the Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act, that would expand access to remote mental health and substance use services in rural America, specifically for individuals working in the farming, fishing, and forestry industries.

Mr. Speaker, it is time we come together to pass legislation that will address our nation's growing mental health crisis and provide farmers and people in rural communities the care they deserve.

Thank you, and I yield back.

Read more about the Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act.

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