Facing Mental Health Challenges Doesn't Make You Weak

Floor Speech

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Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, 9 months ago, the Lahaina fires took the lives of 101 people and destroyed hundreds of structures, including homes, classrooms, historic parks and features, and businesses. While we have come a long way to repair the physical damage inflicted upon our community, the trauma and emotional pain from the fires continue to take root in the lives of our Maui ``family'' ``ohana.''

First responders, disaster workers, and volunteers are on the front lines and have been there from day one, delivering physical and emotional support to our people and families during this time of crisis. While we know they often--and you heard this from the previous speaker--put the needs of others before themselves, the reality is they, too, need help dealing with the challenges and dangers that come with experiences and the things that they see every day on the job, the situations that they are faced with.

I will digress a bit and tell you some stories of things that I saw in the first days, weeks, and even months after the fires. It was not uncommon for me to come across even some of the top brass in leadership of our emergency management, fire department, or police department, and they would stop me. You could see by the look in their eyes that it was very hard for them to continue as they talked about the things they saw and the experiences that they went through as victims and survivors themselves, many of them asking me: How can I go on? What do I do now? I need help, too.

Statistically, sadly, we know that first responders, police officers, and firefighters find themselves in this very situation time and time again. We know that these first responders are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty, and that depression and PTSD are up to five times more common in first responders.

Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of services and resources available specifically to address the mental health needs of our first responders. Too often, first responders are directed to services that fail to meet them where they are at and are inadequate to support their mental health and well-being, to truly understand the situation that they are dealing with every single day, reliving the trauma, reliving the moment that they have experienced, yet on the surface having to put on that happy face and continue to serve the public.

This is unacceptable. That is why I introduced the CARE for First Responders Act, which would make sure our first responders, disaster workers, and volunteers have immediate access to on-site, specialized crisis counseling services and resources. Our bill would also establish a peer support program and a national hotline to provide 24/7 confidential, comprehensive crisis services to first responders and their loved ones.

Every day, these brave individuals risk their lives to keep our communities safe. They are our superheroes, but they are still human. All of us need to be there for them, and we must do everything we can to provide all of our survivors and disaster responders with the mental health and support they need now.

The reality is that we can clear away the debris, rebuild our schools, and reopen our roads. We can see houses coming up. Healing from the pain and trauma, though, is a lot more difficult, and that takes time.

As we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, I thank my colleague from Vermont for giving us this opportunity to call attention to the mental health crisis that is ravaging our people right now.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues that while we have made incredible progress to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder services, there is still much more work to be done, and it must be done now. We must continue to fight to ensure everyone can get the care they need when they need it and where they are at.

We must pass critical lifesaving measures like H.R. 6415, our CARE for First Responders Act, a truly bipartisan measure with 44 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle to support those who support, care for, and protect us every single day.

We must prioritize and act with urgency to fund and pass progressive policy changes to support mental health in our community. For the sake of all the people who we love, for every single person even in this building, we must do it now.

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