FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov 

Congressman David Trone Calls on Congressional Leadership to Include More Mental Health Funding in COVID Relief Bills

WASHINGTON — Following more reports about the dire state of mental health across the country, U.S. Congressman David Trone (MD-06) released the following statement about COVID-19 stimulus funding: 

“It’s time for Congress to put aside partisan differences and come together to pass a COVID-19 stimulus package that includes significant funding to address the mental health crisis that is ravaging our nation.

“Because of the pandemic, the state of mental health in this country is the worst it’s been in two decades. More than 90 million American adults are likely to suffer from symptoms of depression or anxiety disorder, and nearly 50% of young adults report having symptoms of depression. While we are near a vaccine for COVID-19, there is no vaccine for the mental health crisis and trauma that will long outlive the virus.

“The pandemic has shined a bright light on the importance of mental health, and as we distribute important funding to address the economic and health effects of the virus, we would be short-sighted to leave out mental and behavioral health funding. The current Senate framework includes a much-needed $5 billion to help treat opioid use disorder, and I firmly believe that we must match that with $5 billion to address the serious mental health impacts of the pandemic.” 

Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees, where he is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research. 

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