Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today--actually, I ran over here--as a proud partner with my colleague, Representative Obernolte, to support the passage of the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act, which would help to protect the 988 lifeline from any future cyber interference.
Unfortunately, suicide is the second leading cause of death among our young people in America. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the 10th leading cause of death in our Nation. We need to treat this as the legitimate health crisis that it is.
This is one of the reasons why I believe there is so much promise in the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Not only does the three-digit calling code provide a 24/7 lifeline to individuals in crisis from anywhere in the United States, but it also represents a change in the way we think and respond to mental illness as something that warrants help and support, just like other kinds of health conditions.
Mr. Speaker, 988, in its fullest form, is not just a number, but a connection to a full mental health crisis response.
Since I know that I have limited time, there is much more to be said, but let me tell my colleagues: This is a perfect example why the people of America send us to Washington, D.C.--to come together, to recognize what we need to fix, and to come together as Republicans and Democrats from both sides of the aisle to work together to create one of the best systems this country and this world will ever know.
Mr. Speaker, 911 is something that any American can take for granted, because we created that almost 70 years ago, where people will call 911, and they know somebody is going to come and save a life.
So 988 is exactly what we need to do for the American people. That is why I am so proud to work with my colleague, Congressman Obernolte, to make sure that we move this forward and put our children, our country, our families, and our communities in a better place in any moment of a mental health crisis.
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