Smith, Klobuchar join Senate Mental Health Caucus to promote health solutions

St. Cloud, Minn. (KNSI) – The new bipartisan U.S. Senate Mental Health Caucus launched on Wednesday as a forum for Senators and their staff to collaborate on and promote mental health solutions.

Democratic U.S. Senators Tina Smith of Minnesota and Alex Padilla of California, along with Republican Senators Joni Ernst of Iowa and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, were driving forces behind the new caucus. Smith says of the first four who signed on, each has experiences with mental health challenges.

Smith is a member of the Senate Health and Education Committee and has openly spoken on the Senate Floor about dealing with depression when she was in college.

Others who readily joined in include U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Fetterman (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). 

Fetterman has been very open about his mental health challenges, and Senator Ernst is the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate. She has watched fellow soldiers struggle with PTSD, anxiety and depression when they came home.

In an interview, Sen. Smith said: “I think it’s just a sign of how much people are focusing on the importance of mental health and how committed we are to really helping people who suffer with it. One in five Americans will experience some mental health challenge over the next year, and yet many people still really struggle to get access to the care that they need. And there’s still a stigma out there, which causes people to be sometimes afraid to speak out and get what they need. I think having this caucus will start to break down some of that stigma, and really will allow us to figure out how to take even more action to help people who need it.”

In recent years, Congress has worked on a bipartisan basis to implement crucial mental health services, including establishing the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

The full mission statement of the Senate Mental Health Caucus is available here.

Story by Jennifer Lewerenz / KNSI