“To help patients and their families, we need to recognize and stop policies that worsen despair and disconnection, and get back to working together to strengthen American communities,” said Republican Leader on the Ways and Means Committee Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) in a full committee hearing examining Americans’ mental health on the heels of a pandemic.

Rep. Brady urged his colleagues to address mental health by fighting the rise of opioid and other substance abuse, making access to telehealth permanent, and working to get Americans off the sidelines to ensure a strong economic recovery. 

CLICK HERE to watch Rep. Brady deliver his remarks.

Key Excerpts from Rep. Brady’s remarks:

• I worry the Biden Administration’s mishandling of the pandemic including tests, treatments, and therapies, and prolonged shutdowns and social isolations have only exacerbated the hardships facing American families.

• Critically, today, America is in the midst of a drug epidemic fueled by fentanyl, a deadly substance, which is now the leading cause of death for Americans age 18-45.

• We can work together to fight the rise of opioid use and other forms of substance abuse that occurred during the pandemic.

• Republican majorities in the House and Senate led a historic investment in combating the opioid crisis and reducing substance use disorder across the country by enacting the SUPPORT Act.

• This bill put in place many common-sense measures to reduce the unnecessary prescription of opioids and to also help those who’ve become addicted.

• Because of the pandemic, the sluggish restart of the economy, and the influx of illegal drugs resulting from President Biden’s open border policies, it’s clear we’ve lost momentum.

• This committee should also work together to make telehealth access permanent.

• At the end of 2020, Congress was able to work together on a bipartisan basis to permanently extend many of the telehealth flexibilities for mental and behavioral health services.

• We need to build on these successes and permanently extend further telehealth flexibilities that can help seniors.

• And finally, this committee should work together to get more Americans off the sidelines and ensure our economic recovery.

• I continue to urge the President to abandon his plans for crippling tax hikes on Main Street, lavish giveaways to special interests, and more runaway spending.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741).

Rep. Brady’s full remarks as prepared for delivery appear below.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today.

 

With substance use on the rise among other risk factors, including social isolation, American families are facing a mental health crisis.

 

During today’s hearing, we’ll hear about the real life challenges so many Americans across the country are struggling with.

 

These problems can impact anyone–seniors, veterans suffering from post-combat mental health challenges, and our children. Everyone is touched by these issues.

 

To help these patients and their families, we need to recognize and stop policies that worsen despair and disconnection and get back to working together to strengthen American communities. 

 

I worry the Biden Administration’s mishandling of the pandemic including tests, treatments, and therapies, and prolonged shutdowns and social isolations have only exacerbated the hardships facing American families.

 

Half of all seniors reported that during the pandemic, they spent more time by themselves and less time doing the things that they enjoy.

 

And without the routine and social environment provided by school and sports, suicide attempts by teenage girls increased by 50 percent.

 

Two out of three patients and families with substance use disorder reported that the pandemic had a negative impact on their recovery, citing an increase in stress and isolation.

 

Critically, today, America is in the midst of a drug epidemic fueled by fentanyl, a deadly substance, which is now the leading cause of death for Americans age 18-45.

 

Overdoses caused by fentanyl have doubled in 30 states between 2019 and 2021, including my state of Texas. These are real families and real communities that are being devastated.

 

We must do more together to reduce the prevalence of fentanyl, which must include solutions at the border.

 

President Biden and congressional Democrats’ open border policies have allowed fentanyl to flow across our southern border and into our communities.

 

Just last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized enough fentanyl to kill every American nearly seven times over.

 

In the fallout of President Biden’s border crisis, the Administration diverted $850 million meant to support the nation’s COVID-19 testing capabilities, instead using the funds to house individuals who crossed into the country illegally.

 

Last month I had the opportunity to talk to the Sheriff of Montgomery County in Texas, Rand Henderson, who told me about the challenges law enforcement is facing with the rise of fentanyl. 

 

He told me more and more of their drug seizures include all kinds of fentanyl laced drugs, including marijuana. If we are not able to stop or even slow the amount of this dangerous drug entering the country, American families and communities will continue to suffer.

 

We can work together to fight the rise of opioid use and other forms of substance abuse that occurred during the pandemic.

 

This is an important issue for Republicans, certainly.

 

Republican majorities in the House and Senate led a historic investment in combating the opioid crisis and reducing substance use disorder across the country by enacting the SUPPORT Act.

 

This bill put in place many common-sense measures to reduce the unnecessary prescription of opioids and to also help those who’ve become addicted.

 

But I’m afraid we’ve taken our eye off the ball. Because of the pandemic, the sluggish restart of the economy, and the influx of illegal drugs resulting from President Biden’s open border policies, it’s clear we’ve lost momentum.

 

The patients and communities that started to see hope as Congress was passing SUPPORT now feel neglected.

 

It is critical that we renew our commitment to every American who is impacted by directly or indirectly by substance use disorder and mental health challenges. 

 

We must build on and improve the SUPPORT Act, and assess new challenges in combating these issues.

 

This committee should also work together to make telehealth access permanent.

 

In the first year of the pandemic, the national weekly average of telehealth users jumped from 13,000 to 1.7 million.

 

Telehealth was especially critical for delivering mental and behavioral health services.

 

By increasing access during this time, having the option to use telehealth has saved countless lives of seniors and those facing dire mental health challenges.

 

At the end of 2020, Congress was able to work together on a bipartisan basis to permanently extend many of the telehealth flexibilities for mental and behavioral health services.

 

We need to build on these successes and permanently extend further telehealth flexibilities that can help seniors.

 

And finally, this committee should work together to get more Americans off the sidelines and ensure our economic recovery.

 

We heard from President Biden last night that this is something he would like to work on, but the first step is to stop making things worse.

 

I continue to urge the President to abandon his plans for crippling tax hikes on Main Street, lavish giveaways to special interests, and more runaway spending.

 

I’ll close here. On the heels of a raging pandemic and a terrible recession, we know the mental health crisis is real. I believe we have the tools to fight it, and we must take a bipartisan approach to doing so.

 

Let’s work together. I yield the balance of my time.